


Whiskey Heat

by EnglishPoet18



Category: Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-20
Updated: 2014-03-26
Packaged: 2018-01-16 09:00:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 13
Words: 36,638
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1340083
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EnglishPoet18/pseuds/EnglishPoet18
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Shameless dirty, sexy, smutty...oneshot that's turned into a multi-chapter. Completely AU and the characters are also a little OOC. Keep that in mind.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

.............

Carol sat at the bar and drank down the shot of liquor that she had ordered from the bartender. She grimaced and coughed as the liquid took her breath away a little. Bars weren't really her scene, but she had needed an outlet tonight, had needed to get away. She didn't even know what she was doing here. She was married for crying out loud. She chuckled as she stared down into her empty glass. Yeah, married. What a joke that was. Ed Peletier was a class A asshole and that was putting it mildly.

At least tonight she could pretend that she wasn't married. Ed was out of town on some sort of business trip and Carol had waited until she knew he would be in bed and wouldn't call before she had decided to come out. Of course she couldn't go anywhere where she might encounter one of his asshole friends so Carol drove out of town a little ways before picking this bar. The bar was named, " _Whiskey Heat_ " and for some reason the name had called to Carol. She had never been a drinker, not really and she could count on one hand the number of times she had been drunk in her lifetime.

She didn't even really own anything that looked appropriate for a bar so she had improvised by using scissors and her sewing machine on one of her shirts and a skirt. The shirt was now sleeveless and taken in on the sides cutting closer to her figure, and the skirt no longer hung past her knees. She felt a little uncomfortable in the unfamiliar clothes, but no one had looked at her oddly as she had walked in so she was starting to relax a little.

The clack of a glass plopping down on the wooden bar caused her to jump off of her bar stool a little. She glanced up at the bartender as he poured her another shot of the brown liquid, "I didn't order that," she protested.

The man smiled at her and gestured over his shoulder to the other end of the bar, "Guy down there did," he replied.

Carol leaned around the man to look at the guy who was sitting at the end of the bar. He had on a baseball cap and he tipped his glass at her, giving her a wink before standing up and walking down the row of stools to sit next to her. Carol fidgeted nervously in her chair.

What was she doing here?

Oh yeah. She had wanted this that's why she was here. She wanted her one night to be different, free, and wild.

She summoned up her courage and gave the man a smile. He downed the rest of his glass and turned on his stool to look her up and down. "Well ain't you somethin' in that skirt darlin'?" He commented in a thick Southern drawl.

"Thanks…I think," Carol replied.

He chuckled, "You waitin' on somebody?"

Carol took a sip of the amber liquid, "No." She coughed as it burned again and the man pounded her on the back.

"Gotta chug that shit darlin'. Whiskey ain't for sippin'." He signaled the bartender and ordered himself a shot. Once it was poured he gestured to hers as he picked up his own, "On the count of three. One…two…three," he chanted.

Carol tipped her glass back and downed the liquid in one gulp. It brought tears to her eyes with the burn, but she didn't cough this time. She pushed the empty glass to the side as her head began to swim a little. The man sitting next to her didn't seem affected at all and Carol wished her alcohol tolerance wasn't so low.

"What's your name?" She asked.

The man slid his glass back and forth on the counter between his hands. "Merle," he said.

"It's nice to meet you Merle. I'm Carol," she replied.

He eyed her for a moment before replying, "What you doin' here Carol?" He asked.

Carol frowned in confusion, "What do you mean? I'm here to drink, just like everyone else," she replied.

Merle shook his head, his eyes boring into hers, "Nah. Ya got that innocent look about you. This ain't your scene," he said.

Carol shrugged, bummed that the man was able to read her that well, "Everyone has to start somewhere."

He placed his hand on her knee gently, "Is that right?" He asked.

Merle was smooth, she had to give him that. He had one of those deep voices that kind of flowed over you if you ignored what he was actually saying. She had a feeling that he was a regular here and that he was used to going home with company. He signaled the bartender and she watched as he ordered two more shots. She knew that she should stop him that two should be her limit, but she just wasn't feeling like listening to that voice of reason tonight. The shots were placed before them and Carol eyed Merle, waiting on his signal. He quirked a smile and together they picked up their glasses and downed another shot. Merle signaled for another and again they downed the shots in unison. Carol was feeling pretty good and she giggled at their little game.

She pushed away the offer of yet another shot though, "I think I'm done."

Merle scoffed, "Pussy," he muttered with a teasing glint to his eye.

Carol shot him a glare and just to prove him wrong she took that shot and swiped his. He raised his brows and chuckled at her bravery. Carol batted her lashes at him, "Who's a pussy now?" 

Merle held up his hands in surrender. His hand moved from her knee up to her hip and Carol could feel the warmth of that hand through her skirt. She actually thought it felt kind of nice to have someone touch her affectionately. Before she could think about that too much though, Merle pulled her close and pressed his lips against hers. She leaned into him a little dizzily and placed her hands upon his chest. She was surprised at the muscle she felt there and her hands roved over his chest in exploration. The kiss was nice and Carol welcomed the feel of his tongue tangling with hers.

Merle pulled back and studied her, "Well now, ain't this a nice surprise?" His hand stroked up and down her back in a light caress. Merle ordered himself one more shot, this one a little taller and a different color. He drank it just as quickly though and slapped some money down on the table before turning to her. "What you say we get outta here?" He asked.

Carol shrugged and nodded. It didn't really matter to her at the moment. She was feeling good and nothing was going to destroy that right now. Merle grabbed her by the hand and she followed behind him. It was only when they stepped outside and she saw how they would be traveling that she sobered up a little.

"You dr…drive a motor….motorcycle?" She stuttered.

Merle smirked, "Only way to travel darlin'. You just slide that tight lil' ass on the back an' hold on tight. I'll getcha where you need to be," he said.

Carol looked at it warily. She had never ridden a motorcycle, but then again she had never done a lot of things she was doing tonight. If she was going to be wild, then she supposed that she shouldn't let a little motorcycle stand in her way.

….

Carol giggled somewhat nervously as she stumbled behind Merle into his house. He was staggering a little and for some reason she thought this was hilarious. He paused in the living room to fumble for a light switch at the same time that Carol decided to keep walking and she collided into him and bounced backwards, landing into an unfamiliar pair of hands. Merle cursed and finally the room was bathed in light as Carol found herself being set back onto her feet.

"What the fuck you doin' Merle?" The man who had steadied her asked gruffly.

Carol's eyes traveled over the man as he stepped into the light to glare at Merle. He was shirtless and had on nothing more than a pair of jogging pants that were worn low on his hips. Carol watched the pants in a daze as they talked in hushed voices and wondered how in the world the man kept them up. His muscles glinted in the dim light and when he glanced her way his piercing blue eyes made her breath catch. He stared at her just as hard, his eyes dipping to roam over her body and Carol shivered slightly. Suddenly Merle was in front of her again and she blinked in surprise as his figure blocked out her view of the other man.

"Just ignore my brotha darlin'. He's jus' jealous he ain't spot you first," Merle drawled and he threw his heavy arm around her as he led her down the hallway. Stopping in front of the first room, he swept open the door and gestured for her to enter first. Carol swallowed, suddenly nervous and stepped into the room. It was a very plain room with just a bed and a dresser being the only furniture that decorated it. Surprisingly it was also very neat to be a man's room and Carol sat down on the edge of the bed nervously. The closer this whole thing seemed to a reality, the more she sobered up and now she was a bundle of nerves and wondering if she could go through with this.

Merle began taking off his clothes and when he reached for the button on his jeans Carol stood up quickly. "I have to go to the bathroom," she announced.

Merle paused and then shrugged as if it were no big deal. He sat down heavily on the edge of the bed, "Next door over to your right Sugar," he muttered. He leaned back with his hands behind his head as Carol slipped out of the room. She didn't really have to go to the bathroom, but she hadn't known any other excuse to get out of that room so she had blurted out the first thing that came to mind. Now she realized that she was stuck here because she had ridden with Merle on his motorcycle. She began to panic until she remembered his brother and she hesitated before knocking on the only other door in the hallway.

She almost walked away, but then the door was thrust open and she found herself once again face to face with those eyes.

"Yeah?" He asked roughly.

"Um, I…" She didn't know how to tell him that she was running out on his brother, but she didn't have many other options at the moment.

"You bailin'?" He asked suddenly, startling her.

Carol's eyes flicked up to his, "Uh, yeah. How did you know?" 

He smirked and leaned his lean figure against the doorframe, "You ain't his type." He gestured for her to enter and she stepped inside of his room hesitantly. It didn't escape her mind that she had just left one man's room to go straight into anothers.

"If you have a phone I could call a cab," she suggested.

He studied her. "Ain't got a phone," he said. "What were you doin' down at that bar for anyways?"

Carol blushed a little. "Drinking like everyone else," she replied.

He crossed his arms causing his muscles to flex, "Bullshit," he countered.

"I beg your pardon?" Carol said, her voice rising. She turned to leave, but he sidestepped, blocking her path. "Please move," she whispered.

He stayed still, his eyes boring into her. "You were lookin' for somethin' or else you wouldn't have gone home with my asshole brother. That's a sure sign of desperation," he stated.

Carol flushed, "You have no idea what you're talking about," she muttered.

His hand shot out and cupped her wrist causing her pulse to jump crazily at his touch, "I don't?" He questioned quietly.

Carol swallowed, "No."

He smirked and lifted her hand to his mouth where he stuck one of her fingers between his lips and sucked. Carol felt her knees wobble and she jerked her hand back as if he had bitten it. She hadn't realized that her back was against the wall until he stepped forward a couple of steps and she found herself surrounded by his scent. It was woodsy with a hint of something musky and she breathed it into her lungs steadily.

"What's your name?" He whispered.

"Carol," she replied. "Yours?"

He didn't respond and instead dipped his head so that they were face to face, his warm breath hitting her face gently. She sucked in her breath, unsure as to why she was still there. "So," he began, "You need some help?"

"Help?" Carol echoed weakly. "Help with what?"

"You're wound up so tight. You look like you could use some help," he commented softly.

Oh his voice, Carol thought as she shivered. "N..I don't know," Carol replied.

He bent his head and covered her lips with his, but he didn't touch her anywhere else. His lips were scorching over hers and she moaned a little when he swirled his tongue into her mouth. When he pulled away, he turned away from her and walked over to sit on his bed. Her eyes landed on those damn pants again and she found herself following him although she couldn't explain why she was okay with this.

She sat down on the edge of the bed, "Your brother is probably wondering where I am."

He snorted. "Drunk ass is probably sleepin'," he leaned over to her ear, "Hopefully he'll stay that way," he whispered.

His lips traveled down to her neck and she tilted her head to the side to give him better access. He sucked at her flesh softly and she let a sigh of pleasure escape her lips. His fingers teased the hem of her shirt, "What do you want?" He whispered.

"I want…I want to forget. I want to be someone other than who I am even if just for the night," she whispered back.

He nodded and then he stood up, pulling her up to stand with him. He lifted her shirt up and over her head so that she was standing there in her bra. Carol tried to cover herself a little self-consciously, but he pulled her hands away firmly. Walking behind her she felt his fingers on the clasp of her bra and when he pulled it off of her he grabbed her wrists, pulling them behind her, and wound the bra around them tightly. She gasped as his hands reached around her and cupped her breasts. She leaned back against his chest and sighed as his lips found her neck again. She could feel his hardness pressing into her and she wiggled against him slightly.

He stepped back slightly and nipped at her flesh. "Did I tell you to move?" He asked in a much harder voice that commanded attention.

Carol shook her head silently. He crossed in front of her again and licked a trail down the valley between her breasts. He paused at her navel and then ran his hand up her leg and under her skirt. Unzipping it, he slid it down her legs slowly until she stepped out of it. His finger trailed over the wetness of her panties and she moaned. She had never been so turned on in her life.

"Don't recall telling you to make no noise either."

Carol bit her lip in reply. He nodded then and hooked his fingers into her panties before sliding them down her legs. She was now completely naked but she had yet to see what was under those pants of his. He walked her backwards over to the bed, "Sit," he commanded.

Carol sat and he knelt in front of her, spreading her legs open widely. Before she could react, his face was between her legs and he had his tongue inside of her. Carol gasped and cried out at the sensation. He lifted his head, "Again. Didn't tell you ta speak. Guess I'm gonna have to make you work for it," he said.

Carol hitched in a breath as he dipped his face between her legs again. He ran his tongue up and down her slit and over her clit repeatedly until her legs clenched tightly as she was about to come. He stood up and she opened her eyes as she panted heavily. She remained quiet though as she watched him drag a chair out from the corner of the room. His fingers drifted to the waist of his pants and he untied the string, letting them fall to his feet. He was gloriously naked underneath and Carol drank him in with her eyes. His cock jutted from between his legs hard and thick. His legs were thick with muscles and lean as if he worked out a lot. He rummaged in a drawer and pulled out a condom, sliding it onto his length as he retained eye contact with her.

"Okay?" He asked softly.

She nodded and he sat down in the chair and beckoned to her, "Come."

Carol stood and walked over to him on shaky legs. He helped her straddle the chair and with his hands on her waist he guided her down to him. His firm hands stopped her from sliding all of the way down and instead he made her go inch by inch until he was seated deep inside of her. Carol took in a deep breath as she adjusted to him and he waited for her. Finally she looked into his face and he nodded slightly, his eyes half shut with desire. He helped her to lift and together they found a motion that worked for them. Carol closed her eyes as she slid up and down his length.

"Open. I wanna see you," he demanded.

Carol complied and opened her eyes to stare into his. He leaned over and took her nipple into his mouth, suckling softly at first and then harder, making her tip her head back. He swirled his tongue over the taut bud and bit down on it gently. She bit her lip to keep quiet as he turned his attention to the other breast. Carol could feel her body beginning to grow hot and she knew her orgasm was close.

He slipped his finger between them and rubbed her clit softly, "You wanna be a bad girl Carol?" He asked. Carol could only nod and he lifted his hips up into hers making her hiss. "This what ya want?" Carol nodded again and he smirked, "Speak."

"Yes," Carol breathed out.

She whimpered as he pulled out of her and leaned her over the side of the bed facedown. His fingers found her opening and he guided himself into her again making her whimper with the friction. His hands rested on her hips and he started out slowly at first and then increased his speed until all you could hear was the pounding of flesh upon flesh.

"Fuck me like the bad girl you are Carol," his voice rang out.

Carol couldn't hold back any longer and her legs quivered before she came undone beneath him. She sank into the mattress as her body pulsed and tightened around him. She let out a loud moan.

" _So_. _Fuckin_ '. _Tight_."

He pumped a few more times and then he slammed into her before releasing a groan of his own as he found his own release. She pushed herself flush against him and he grunted before pulling out of her. With a twist of his fingers he loosened the bonds around her wrists and let her bra fall to the floor. Carol turned over on the bed as he lay down next to her. Her heart was beating heavily and she was pretty sure she would never forget this night. Ever.

She eyed him, "You never told me your name."

"Daryl," he replied.

Carol rolled the name around on her tongue. Daryl. She filed it away in her mind for later as her mind replayed the mind blowing sex. She realized then that if she hadn't gone to that bar tonight and went home with Merle then she never would have gotten the chance to meet Daryl. Maybe it had been fate for Merle to buy her that shot of whiskey tonight. She wasn't sure, but one thing she was sure of as she smiled softly back at Daryl was that she liked being bad was a lot of fun.

..........

 

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

.....

Carol knocked on the door of the small run down house with the single bare bulb hanging over the porch and waited nervously. It had taken her all day to talk herself into coming back and now that she was finally here she was feeling more like bolting than anything else. She was slightly ashamed of the fact that she had been somewhat stalking the man the past few weeks. She had had to make sure that he would be here alone though so she had asked around at the bar to find out that Merle frequented the bar after dark just about every night. So Carol had driven past the bar to make sure she saw the bike sitting in the parking lot before heading out to his house. Ed was out of town again, the trips beginning to come more frequently, but Carol didn't mind. She was glad for the opportunities to be alone actually. She craved the time to herself because then she could pretend that she wasn't stuck in an abusive marriage.

Ever since that one night with Daryl she hadn't been able to get him out of her mind. She had figured that her one night of wild abandon would be enough to get it out of her system but it had only served to make her want to take even more risks. She had even went out and purchased an outfit that she wouldn't normally wear before tonight. She had wanted to look good though she doubted that he had even paid her clothes any attention last time. The longer she stood there the more nervous she became until finally the door was thrust open and there he stood. She wasn't sure if it was possible, but he looked even sexier since the last time she had seen him. He cocked his hip out and leaned against the door frame, one of his hands holding the door open while he stared at her. His eyes began at the boots on her feet, traveled up her tight jeans, and then lingered on her low cut top before coming to a rest on her face. Carol fidgeted nervously. He was going to think she was some sort of hooker or something and she suddenly wanted to run far away. He would have no idea that this was not her normal. She wasn't the type of woman to do something like this.

So why was she here? Was it because he was giving her something that no one else had?

She twisted her hands in front of her nervously. Then he smiled at her and she turned to make a mad dash for her car. His hand shot out surprisingly quickly, and he tugged her back towards him firmly but gently all the same. She sucked in a breath as she found herself pressed up against hard muscle underneath his sleeveless Circle Jerks tee. He smelled of soap and mint and she closed her eyes for several seconds. His breath was warm against her ear as he bent his head toward hers.

"Well isn't this a nice surprise?" He whispered. "Where you goin'?"

Carol couldn't stop her body from shaking slightly and she didn't know if it was from nerves or excitement at his nearness. "I…I'm n…not going anywhere," she stuttered slightly.

"Why are you nervous?" His warm breath caressed her ear.

His hand was playing with the fingers of her right hand and she hadn't even realized that he had grabbed it. His stare was unnerving and they were still standing in the doorway of the front door where anyone passing by could see. Carol didn't know exactly how to answer his question so she kept quiet and concentrated on the way he played with her fingers. He grabbed her other hand and twisted her wedding band around, lifting her hand up and raising a brow at her in question.

She flushed ten different shades of red. "It's not what you think," she said.

"So you're not married and you aren't cheatin' on your husband?" He asked gruffly.

"No. I…I mean yes. Shit. This isn't going how I envisioned. Can I come in?" She asked.

He nodded and stepped back slightly, allowing her to duck under his thick arm as she passed inside. This was the first time she had gotten a good look at his place. The last time was a little fuzzy, but this time she could see that it was evident they didn't have a lot of money. The space was plain and outdated, but at least it was clean and that was saying something for two men who lived together. She wondered if Daryl was the one who did the cleaning. He shut the door and walked over to stand in front of her with his arms folded and waited.

She cleared her throat. She wasn't really willing to get into her whole life story with Ed. She had come here to forget all of those things and she was already failing. She sighed and struggled to find the words to explain why she was here.

"My…husband for all intents and purposes, is an abusive, controlling, asshole," she began. His eyes widened slightly, but he nodded at her to continue. "I've tried on several occasions to leave him and every time I've been caught and I've paid dearly for it." She sucked in a shuddering breath. She was  _not_  going to cry. "He's started taking these business trips recently and it's like a vacation for me. It's a chance to pretend that I'm not some battered housewife without a purpose in life other than to please a man who could care less about my needs." She finally raised her eyes to his and saw that his were cold and hard as steel.

She had offended him. Oh God. She was so embarrassed.

She turned to bolt again, but again he was faster and he stepped in front of her and slammed the door back shut where she had opened it just a crack. He removed her hand from the door and held it between his, running his fingers up and down hers.

"What do you want?" He whispered.

Carol shook her head, "No. It was wrong of me to come here. I shouldn't have put you in the middle of this predicament. I-"

Her words were cut off by his mouth, hot and heavy upon hers. She was startled at first and then she allowed herself to be pulled into the kiss. She opened her mouth just slightly as his tongue teased her lips and he slipped his tongue into her mouth, caressing her with it. Her hands found his shoulders and she placed them there lightly as they kissed. It went on for some time and finally she felt her body start to relax some before he pulled away.

Keeping her hand, he tugged her along behind him down the hallway until they entered his room and she stood in the middle of it nervously as he shut and locked the door. He sauntered over to her slowly, stopping to trail his hand over her ass before he lay upon the bed. He put his hands behind his head and fixed her with a sensual stare that made her weak at the knees.

"It's your show sweetheart. What do you wanna do to me?" He asked softly.

Carol licked her lips, her eyes roaming over his hard body and the obvious bulge in his pants. "I've never done anything like this before," she admitted.

Daryl shrugged. "It's alright. Take your time," he encouraged.

Her mind trailed back to the last time and she remembered how controlling he was to her and how much she had enjoyed that. She placed one of her boots on the bed and slowly unzipped it while she watched him. His eyes darkened considerably and she repeated the action with her other boot. He stayed completely still, his hands still behind his head but his breathing slightly ragged.

Swallowing back her courage, Carol crawled onto the bed and straddled him. She lifted his shirt up to reveal a few inches of tight stomach that she pressed her mouth to. Sticking out her tongue she licked him from his rib cage to his belly button and she smiled inwardly at his sharp intake of breath. Emboldened by his response, she flicked open the button on his jeans and undid the zipper before crawling down his legs to tug them off. He lifted his hips off of the bed to assist her, but other than that he remained motionless. He also wasn't wearing anything underneath those jeans and her heart pounded a hard rhythm in her chest at the sight of him so beautifully erect. Licking her lips she kneeled at the edge of the bed and grabbed him in her hand. He seemed to throb at her touch and she stroked him once for good measure. He closed his eyes once before opening them again to stare at her. Leaning forward she took him into her mouth as far as she could take him. He groaned beneath her and she used her other hand to cup the base of him. She bobbed her head up and down as she worked him. His muscles were taut beneath her and his breathing was increasing. She moved her hand to his balls and fondled them gently causing him to hiss. She made a sound of approval in her throat and he growled.

"Fuck. I'm gonna cum…Carol," He grunted as seconds later he arched up into her mouth. She tried to swallow as much of him as possible, but some leaked out of her mouth. After swallowing, she dipped her head and cleaned up the rest of the residue causing him to moan lightly.

Encouraged by the responses she was getting from him she stood up and fixed him with a stare. "Undress me," she commanded.

He sat up immediately, his fingers wrapping around her wrist and tugging her body closer to his. He lifted her shirt and pressed his lips to her belly. She cleared her throat, "I don't recall telling you to kiss me," she said shakily.

He grinned against her skin, but removed his lips. "Yes ma'am," he whispered softly.

He stood and lifted her shirt completely off, his eyes darkening at the fact that she wasn't wearing a bra. Brushing his hand against her nipple as he headed for her jeans he bit back a smile at her sharp intake of breath. He hooked his thumbs into the waist of her jeans and pulled them off, raising a brow at the fact that she too, was commando. Carol felt her face growing hot as he stood in front of her and waited. Then she figured out that he was waiting on her command and she tried to figure out what to do next.

"Make me shiver with pleasure," she ordered softly.

He tilted his head at her and then nodded, "My pleasure."

Kneeling before her, he nudged her legs further apart and ran both of his hands up the backs of her legs before pressing his face into the juncture between her legs. His tongue trailed along her slit before he pressed inward and teased circles across her sensitive flesh. Finding her nub, he sucked it between his lips, causing her body to rock forward violently. His hands gripped her thighs to steady her and she placed her hands upon his shoulders. He eased a finger inside of her as his tongue continued to stroke her and she felt her body quiver. Finally he pulled his mouth away and blew warm air onto her skin while staring up at her and the dam broke. She jerked shakily above him and he quickly pressed his mouth back to her, lapping at her juices as she rocked from the aftershocks of her orgasm.

Daryl stood up and kept one hand upon her as she got control of herself again. "You know... We didn't use anything last time," he said softly.

Carol nodded, "I'm on the pill," she replied.

He stared at her a moment longer before nodding, "I'm clean."

She blushed, "Me too." She had always had her regular checkups. With the formalities out of the way, he reached out to tuck a stray strand of hair out of her face and waited. "Take off your shirt," Carol insisted. He obeyed by lifting it up and over his head, tossing it to the floor so that they were both completely naked. "I don't know what else to do," she admitted with a blush.

"It's your game," he commented. "Do whatever feels right."

"Take control of me."

He cocked his head to the side, "What?"

"Don't make me repeat it," she pleaded. "Last time was… _sexy."_

He smirked, "You sure?"

Carol nodded and held her breath when he walked behind her. She heard him digging through a drawer but she didn't turn around. Then he lifted a cloth of some sort over her head and wrapped it over her eyes, cutting off her ability to see. She had to rely totally on her sense of smell and hearing. His fingers grazed her belly and she sucked in a breath when his lips closed over her nipple and suckled the tip softly.

"Does that feel good Carol?" He asked. She nodded and he cleared his throat next to her ear. "You speak when you're spoken to," he commanded.

"Yes. It feels good."

He didn't reply and instead grabbed her hand and tugged her over to the bed, walking her backwards until the backs of her knees hit the edge and she sat down. He pushed her back gently so that she was lying down and then she felt the bed dip as he climbed on top of it. He dipped a finger inside of her and rubbed her clit softly, making her bite back a moan.

"Good girl," he whispered. "Who are you wet for Carol?"

"I'm wet for you," she replied breathlessly.

Again there was no response and he lifted her hand up. Seconds later he slid her ring off and she heard him moving about, but he didn't put it back. It meant nothing to her so she didn't blink an eye at the action. All was quiet for so long that she was tempted to ask him if he was okay. Then the bed dipped and he positioned himself over her, entering her in one smooth thrust that had her arching up and off of the bed. He hooked an arm under one of her legs and lifted it for a deeper angle that had her moaning in delight. He grunted as he continued his punishing rhythm. She focused on the sounds of their breathing in the small room and the delicious friction as he slid in and out of her. She whimpered as her body began to tremble and then she teetered off of the edge and cried out as the sensations rocked her. He followed suit minutes later with his own grunts of pleasure before spilling himself inside of her. Reaching down he removed her blindfold and collapsed onto the bed next to her.

Carol's mind was a whirlwind of activity. This was the second time she had come here and she wondered at what she was doing with all of this. They certainly couldn't keep going like this, could they? Coming her once might have been construed as an accident, but twice was surely on purpose. Looking over at him with his eyes closed, she didn't regret it for a minute though. There was something about this man that called to her and she let her mind daydream at what her life might have been like had she met someone like him instead of Ed.

She sighed and sat up, scooting to the edge of the bed. Ed would be back first thing tomorrow morning and she couldn't afford to get too comfortable here. "I've got to go," she commented softly.

He grabbed her wrist with his strong fingers. "Will I see you again?" 

She looked back at him. His eyes were dark and serious and she wished that there was no Ed and that she could just snuggle into this man's arms all night without a care in the world. She didn't know what kind of person that made her nor did she care at the moment.

"I hope so," she whispered and she meant it.

He nodded softly and ran his fingers through his shaggy hair that needed a trim. Reaching behind him he handed her her wedding band and she grudgingly slid it on again.

"Thank you," she muttered, "For everything."

He pressed his lips to her and kissed her gently before pulling away, "Don't cheapen it like that. You're better than that."

"Thanks," she blushed. "So are you. I mean…just thanks."

Carol gathered up her clothes and began to get dressed slowly. She really didn't want to leave, but she knew that she had to. After pulling on her boots, she stopped in front of him. He was still gloriously naked and seemingly unaware of it. He grabbed her hand and pressed his lips to her palm, closing her hand tight over the kiss.

"You are mine," he whispered.

Carol's breath hitched. "Yes," she replied without thinking. She slowly pulled her hand from his grasp and headed for the door.

"Carol." He waited until she paused and glanced over her shoulder at him. "Until next time," he said.

She smiled, her heart pounding furiously, "Until next time."

........


	3. Chapter 3

.............

"Piece of shit car! Damn it!" Ed raged as his fist pounded the dash of the car.

Carol cringed and prayed silently to the car Gods that the car wouldn't completely give up on them. The last thing she needed was to be stuck beside the road with an angry Ed and nowhere to go to get away from him. Smoke was pouring from underneath the hood of the car and Ed was cursing at the car for all that it was worth. They weren't in town and they weren't even near town. They had driven out of town to see Ed's sister who wasn't much of an improvement from Ed. Apparently being an asshole ran in the family. It had been a stressful kind of day for Carol and she knew that she would be in for it whenever they finally made it home. Ed's sister always managed to stress him out and it was never good for Carol in the end.

"There's some kind of shop up there I think. Maybe we can pull over and they can help us," Carol suggested as she pointed at a brick building up ahead.

Ed huffed. "And where the fuck you reckon' we going to get the money to pay for this shit? You need to get off your lazy ass and find a job to start contributing around here," Ed snapped.

They had tried that once before and it hadn't worked out at all. Carol had gotten a job at one of the local grocery stores and she had managed to hang onto it for a whole week before Ed made her quit. Carol had enjoyed the feeling of getting out of the house and away from him. She would have shoveled horse shit all day long if it meant that she didn't have to deal with Ed, but of course like everything in her life that was good, it got taken away from her.

Ed coasted the car into the crowded lot of junk cars and cursed again as the smoke continued to rise from under the hood. He shot her a glare. "Well get your ass out and come on! If I gotta sit here and wait then so do you," he grumbled.

Carol climbed out of the car quickly and followed along behind Ed. They could hear the sounds of air wrenches going off as they drew closer to the shop doors and Carol could see a car up on a lift. She prayed that one of these people would know how to fix their car and that it wouldn't be too costly. Ed strode several feet ahead of her, his face a mask of anger and annoyance. She braced herself for what was surely to be a bad day all around.

As they approached the car that was on the lift Carol could see someone standing underneath it, their head almost concealed entirely by the engine as they worked. Ed cleared his throat impatiently.

"Be with ya in a second," an oddly familiar voice called out.

Several tools clanged to the ground before the man ducked his head out and walked from underneath the car, wiping his fingers on a red shop rag. He lifted his head as he approached and it was all Carol could do not to gasp aloud. Daryl focused on Ed first and nodded in greeting before letting his eyes drift over to Carol. Carol could see the recognition in his eyes, but he hid it very well and only nodded at her the same as he had with Ed.

"Can I help you folks?" Daryl asked, his eyes focused on Ed.

"Yeah, our car's smoking real bad underneath the hood. Need someone to take a look at it. Trying to get home and ain't got all day," Ed explained.

Daryl arched a brow at Ed as he continued to wipe at his hands that were covered in what looked to be grease. "Hey Frankie! Got a car out front need ya to take a look at!" He yelled over his shoulder.

Ed immediately walked towards the man whom Carol assumed was Frankie and began speaking to him and gesturing with his hands. Carol lingered in the same spot he had left her and her eyes drifted to Daryl to find him watching her with an amused expression. She struggled to hold in her own smile in return and she felt herself grow warm as he winked at her.

"I'm Daryl by the way," he said softly as he thrust out one grease spotted hand. Carol glanced down at it and then placed her hand in his. He let his fingers trail over hers in a movement that happened so quickly she would have missed it had it not happened to her. She felt her mouth grow dry at the contact and she swallowed quickly to try and moisten her throat. "And your name is?" Daryl prompted.

Carol blushed, knowing full well that he knew her name, but playing along anyway. "Carol," she replied.

He smiled and finally let go of her hand. "Nice to meet you, Carol."

Carol nodded as Ed walked back in her direction and she quickly shifted her focus to him. Ed cast a quick glance at Daryl, but then fixed his eyes on Carol. He grabbed her roughly by the arm and Carol winced slightly at his bruising grip.

"Going out here to see about the damn car. You stay your ass inside here and don't go getting into any trouble. I'll expect to find you here when I get back, understand?" He asked.

Carol nodded reluctantly, well aware that Daryl's eyes were on her. "Yes Ed," she replied softly.

Ed didn't reply and turned away to follow Frankie outside to their car. Carol glanced over at Daryl and saw that he was watching Ed walk away with a clenched jaw. He turned and their eyes met, his dark and dangerous, "That your asshole husband I'm guessing?" Daryl muttered.

Carol's face creased with panic, "Please don't let him hear you! And yes, that's Ed," she answered.

He glanced out towards the lot where Ed was standing and talking to Frankie who had the hood lifted on the car and was bent over the engine looking at it. Daryl glanced back at her, "Why don't you have a seat in the office here until we get done with your car?" Without waiting for her answer, he grabbed her hand and pulled her into the office. The office wasn't big by any means, but there was enough space for a desk and two chairs to sit comfortably on the other side of it. As soon as they were out of sight of anyone who happened to pass by, Daryl backed her up against the wall and kissed her. The action was so unexpected that she gasped and he seized the opportunity to slide his tongue into her mouth. He pressed himself against her fully and she moaned softly into his mouth. The whole act of doing something so forbidden and risky was turning her on. Just the fact that Ed or anyone else could walk in at any time and catch them made her wet beyond belief and she pressed herself against him seeking relief.

"You like that, huh?" He whispered as he rained kisses down her neck.

She nodded, "Yes," she whispered in return.

"Your husband's a real asshole. I wanna put my fist in his face," he muttered.

She moaned again as his lips found her earlobe and sucked. She knew she should stop this, but she couldn't seem to find the willpower to push him away. He pulled up the bottom of her shirt and moved her bra to reveal her breast which he latched onto greedily. Her breath caught and she closed her eyes for a brief moment before hearing the sound of footsteps.

"Where the hell are you woman!" Ed shouted.

Daryl quickly fixed her shirt and pushed her down gently into a chair just moments before Ed walked into a room. Her head was spinning it had all happened so fast. She glanced over at Ed as he walked in and hoped he couldn't tell what she had just been doing. She worked to control her breathing and she glanced up at Ed as he walked in. He glared at her, his eyes flicking across the room to where Daryl was surprisingly fiddling with a coffeemaker, seemingly oblivious to all that was going on.

"Gonna take a while to fix this shit of course! Got a leak in the damn radiator causing the car to run hot! I've got to make a couple of calls." He pointed his finger at her, "You keep yourself around here and don't go wandering where you don't belong."

Carol nodded, "I've got to go to the bathroom."

Ed sighed and rolled his eyes, turning to Daryl, "Hey you, you got a bathroom in this dump?"

Carol's eyes widened at Ed's tone and she looked at Daryl with pleading eyes as she saw his features harden. His gaze flicked to her and then back to Ed, "The other side of the shop. Last door on the left." He pointed in the general direction of it.

"Fucking beautiful," Ed muttered. "Get your ass in there and do your business. I'll be back inside shortly," he barked as he turned on his heel and left the room.

Carol let out a breath, jumping as Daryl placed a hand on her shoulder, "He always talk to you like that?" He asked in a low tone that she had never heard from him before.

Carol swallowed and nodded, forcing out a smile. "It's no big deal. I'll be right back, okay?" She didn't give him time to respond before she rushed off to the bathroom and shut herself inside.

…

Carol gripped the side of the sink and reached under the running faucet to splash her face with the cool water. She looked at her reflection in the mirror and tried to figure out what the hell she was doing. She was stuck in a loveless, abusive, marriage and she was basically having an affair with someone whom she really knew very little about. Her hands shook slightly as she ran them through her hair and she realized that she was a bundle of nerves. She was absolutely terrified that somehow Ed would figure out what was going on with her and Daryl and ironically part of her wanted him to find out. It excited her. Carol dried her hands on a paper towel and jumped when someone knocked on the door. She unlocked it and peered out of the crack.

"It's me," Daryl said before pushing his way inside.

He locked the door back behind him and then turned to take her face in his hands. He stared at her for several minutes until she realized he was asking for her permission to kiss her. She let out a slow breath and then nodded once softly. Upon seeing her nod he didn't hesitate and his lips descended onto hers, hot and heavy. She gripped his shoulders, her fingers gliding over the muscles that bunched underneath her hands. His lips were warm and needy and everything she craved in that moment.

He pulled back finally to look at her, "You're wound up too tight. I'm gonna help you to relax, okay?"

Carol looked at him nervously. "Ed…" she began.

He placed his finger on her lips, "Ain't gonna find out anything. Gotta trust me, okay?" 

She let out a shuddering breath as she stared at him. Part of her realized that she did trust him, "Okay," she replied.

He smiled soft and slow, and backed her up against the wall, inserting his knee between her legs to press against her sex. He bent his head and suckled her neck softly as his fingers slid underneath her shirt and lifted her bra over her breasts so that his hands could cup them. She hissed in a breath and he dipped his head so that he could take her nipple into his mouth. His eyes never strayed from hers as he sucked and she shivered from his gaze.

"Unzip your pants," he muttered.

Her fingers fluttered to her jeans and she unbuttoned and unzipped them so that his hand could travel downwards. He slid his hand flat against her stomach and under her panties to her slit. He teased the outside for a few moments before dipping one finger inside of her. He paused as he encountered her wetness and he laid his forehead on the wall next to her with a groan. Suddenly he removed his hand and began to unzip his pants as he bit at his lip with a determined expression.

"Fuck that. Take your jeans off," his voice was gruff. She hastily removed her panties and jeans before he lifted her. "Wrap your legs around my waist," he instructed.

She complied and he braced her against the wall for support as he guided himself into her. Carol buried her mouth into his neck to muffle her cries as he thrust into her. She breathed in the scent of his body hungrily. The combination of his hands gripping her ass and knowing that they could be caught at any time made her even wetter. His jaw was clenched with his efforts in holding back to wait on her to finish first. She closed her eyes and let the sensations take over her mind.

"Gonna fuck you Carol. Gonna fuck you while your husband is in the other room without a fuckin' clue that his wife is screwing me on the other side of the wall," he whispered into her ear hotly as he thrust into her harder.

"Daryl," she whimpered as her body came undone around him. She vaguely heard him groaning somewhere in the back of her mind as he spilled himself inside of her. She realized that they were sliding down towards the floor, but Daryl kept her perched on him so that she didn't touch the dirty floor. They stayed joined as they both panted together in the small area. Carol's mind was reeling and she was finding it difficult to focus her thoughts on any one thing.

Daryl grabbed her face and waited until she focused on him before speaking, "You alright?" 

"I'm okay," she replied.

He rubbed the pad of his thumb over her lips gently and she opened her mouth slightly to clamp her teeth over the skin. His eyes darkened and he smirked at her, "You're a bad girl, Carol," he whispered teasingly.

She blushed and released his thumb, "You seem to be bringing it out of me."

He smiled sexily and helped her to her feet so that he could reposition his pants. He helped her gather her jeans and panties so that she could slide them back on. It was only then that she started to worry if Ed had gone looking for her and what might happen if he found them in here together.

Daryl must have seen her look of concern and he surprised her by saying, "Hasn't been but ten minutes. He don't know we're in here so quit worryin'."

She stared at him in surprise as she adjusted her clothing, "How did you know what I was thinking?"

He reached into his pocket for a cigarette before pulling her close for another hot kiss that left her reeling. "Because we're kindred souls," he whispered against her lips.

..........


	4. Chapter 4

............

Carol winced as Ed's fist connected with her stomach. She doubled over in pain and curled up on the rug that lay in front of the stove in the kitchen.

Today was the second day that they had had the rental car. As it had turned out their radiator couldn't be simply patched and it had to be replaced. Of course with the way that their luck ran the auto parts store hadn't had their type of radiator in stock so they had to special order it and it was supposed to have been in yesterday. They were driving a rental car now and according to Ed it used double the gas that their older model car had used, but Carol wasn't sure that he was being honest about that.

"You ain't nothing but a no good piece a shit and that's all you'll ever be!" Ed was yelling but Carol wasn't really hearing him anymore. Her stomach was rolling and she felt as though she might throw up at any second. Ed stood over her with his hands fisted on his hips, "I've got to get going before I'm late. Gonna be gone the weekend, but I'll be calling you so make sure your ass is home. Thanks to you, I've now got to pull double the hours to pay for this rental!"

Carol slid to the floor and curled over herself and prayed that he would stay put just a little longer. She swallowed back the bile in her throat. "Our car is back," she gasped.

Ed frowned down at her, "When the hell did they bring the car back?"

Carol clutched her knees to her chest. "Just a while ago. You were in the shower."

"Fucking great! Now I'm stuck with this rental for the whole weekend when I don't even need it! Stupid bitch," he muttered and turned on his heel for the door. He paused with his hand on the knob. "I'll be back Sunday. You better have your ass straight by then," he said before he exited the house, slamming the door behind him.

As soon as Ed cranked up the rental car and pulled out of the driveway, the door to the closet in the hallway opened and Daryl stepped out. His face was an angry mask and he strode over to where she was quickly. The tears began to pour freely at the fact that he was seeing her like this. When he had come up while Ed was taking his shower and learned that he was going out of town, he had insisted on staying. Carol had made him move the tow truck to the end of the street and then he had come back to hide in the closet in the hallway. She felt dirty about it, but she could never seem to refuse the man anything. Now he had witnessed her getting beaten and she felt completely raw and vulnerable.

Daryl knelt in front of her and grabbed her chin gently between his fingers, tilting her face up to his. He stared at her intently, " _Fuck_ , Carol." That was all he said before he scooped her up and took her down the hallway. "Which room?" He demanded.

Carol pointed at the door that was at the end of the hall and he carried her inside to lay her down on the bed. She immediately began to curl up into a ball, but he stopped her with one hand.

"No. Let me see," he said gruffly.

She swallowed and lay flat so that he could lift her shirt. He sucked in a breath as he looked and Carol knew it was bad.

"Is it bruised?" She whispered.

His eyes glittered. "You know it is. Son of a bitch. This isn't the first time either, is it?" He asked. Carol looked down at the bed. "Don't lower your eyes to me. You're not beneath me and I ain't him," he said with a steely voice.

Carol lifted her eyes to his. "No. It's not the first time," she whispered.

He clenched his jaw and grabbed a throw she kept at the end of the bed, pulling it over her softly, "Sleep." 

"Where are you going?" She asked. She didn't want to be by herself right now and she realized how desperately she wanted him to stay.

"I'm not going anywhere. Gonna move the truck and I'll be back," he said. "Get some rest and we'll talk later."

…

Carol woke up to a hard body pressed against her. A very male body and she turned in the bed to see Daryl propped up on his elbow shirtless, and staring at her. He ran his finger down her arm causing chill bumps to scatter.

"How you feeling?" He asked.

She swallowed to moisten her suddenly dry throat. This man had a crazy effect on her. She pressed against her stomach gently and was glad that she didn't feel more than a dull pain this time. "Better," she admitted.

He climbed to his knees, "You sure?"

Carol nodded, wondering what he was up to. She could never seem to guess his intentions, yet he seemed to read her like an open book. Daryl reached for the button on her jeans and then unzipped them before sliding them down her legs to toss them over his shoulder to the floor. He shimmied her shirt up and over her head, leaving her lying there in her bra and panties. She tried not to be self-conscious with the way he was looking at her because it wasn't the first time, but his stare was just so intent. He stared at her belly and then he bent and pressed his lips to it lightly before ghosting his fingers across it in such a way that made her shiver.

"Relax. I'm just gonna make you feel good," he whispered.

She watched as he moved around the bed, his jeans hanging low on his hips with his boxers peeking over the top. He began to massage her calves, his hands firm and gentle. She didn't think she had ever had a massage before. He moved up her leg slowly, pausing just before the juncture at her thighs before moving down the other side. He rolled her over gently and his fingers worked the clasp undone on her bra before smoothing his hands over her back, kneading muscles she hadn't even known were sore. She moaned low in her throat when his hands hit her lower back. He pressed a kiss just above her panties before she felt his teeth nip her skin lightly and then he was using his mouth to drag her panties down her legs and to the floor. Before she could give that a second thought, he was massaging her ass and she lost all coherent thought as his hands worked their magic.

He never broke stride as he leaned over to whisper in her ear, "Gonna fuck you in this bed Carol. Gonna make you scream out my name." His breath tickled her ear and she shivered before turning over.

As soon as she rolled over he slipped his finger inside of her and she cried out, already wet inside for him. He pulled his wet finger from her and sucked it clean of her juices before sitting on the edge of the bed. He trailed his fingers over her belly making her wiggle.

"I wanna see you cum," he said.

Carol's eyes flicked to his, "What?" She asked in a shocked voice. She wasn't sure that she could do something so blatantly sexual in front of him or anybody for that matter.

"Pleasure yourself for me," he whispered. "Please."

He grabbed her wrist and looked to her for confirmation. She let out a slow breath and then nodded. He guided her hand down to her slit and pushing one of her fingers inside of herself. He kept his eyes on her, but he removed his hand and she swallowed nervously. Summoning up her courage, she slid her fingers in and out of herself, keeping the speed to something that she liked as her breathing quickened. She saw him unzip his pants and then he was stroking himself, his cock hard and thick in his hand. She felt her skin growing hot as she continued. One of her hands went to her nipples and she tugged on them, feeling the delicious little shocks vibrate through her body as she did so. His eyes darkened and he leaned back, propping himself at an angle on his hand. The view of him was breathtaking and she could see him leaking all onto his hand as he rubbed himself up and down, spreading it from the head down his shaft. She rubbed small circles over her clit over and over as she began to pant. Spreading her legs out farther she saw him look down at her and he bit his lip as he stroked, his hand a tight fist. She felt her breath hitch and a hot heat spread through her body before she began to pulse beneath her own hand and he leaned up, holding her hand in place while he continued to stroke himself.

His eyes locked with hers, "Just like that sweetheart," he coaxed. "Ride it out."

She watched him, captivated by him as his body tensed and he shuddered violently before spilling his cum all over his fist. He continued to pump until he milked out every last drop and feeling frisky, she grabbed his hand and licked his fingers clean one by one. He hissed in a breath as he watched her. They were both wet and sticky, but she felt better than she had earlier. He stood and grabbed her hand, pulling her up to join him.

"I wanna wash you clean," he demanded and she pointed at the bathroom as he led her in that direction.

Once inside he set the water to a temperature that soon had it steamy inside of the room before helping her to step inside. He followed behind her and grabbed the soap from the shelf. Lathering it between his hands he rubbed it across her neck, down her collarbone, and over her breasts. He paid special attention to her nipples, making them form hard peaks before moving further down her body. Carol struggled to remain upright, her legs threatening to give away beneath her. He backed her against the bathroom wall before sliding one soapy finger inside of her and she shut her eyes with the pleasure.

"I want you inside of me. Now," she panted.

He grabbed his cock and tugged on it, helping it extend to its full length. He hooked his arm under one of her legs. "Grab onto that bar."

Her fingers closed over the small towel bar inside of the shower and she gripped it tightly as he slid into her from an angle. She moaned at the sensation and he slowed his pace so much that she wanted to whimper at him. He grunted as he continued his slow assault and her eyes caressed over his bunched muscles with approval. His eyes were glazed when he opened them to stare at her, "You're so fuckin' wet for me, aren't you?" 

Carol nodded, "Yes. For you."

"I'm gonna fuck you all over this house until my scent is everywhere," he growled.

Carol moaned and he nodded, his features strained in his effort to regain control. "Oh God…Please."

Daryl began to increase his rhythm, his breath coming out in short pants. "Say my name," he demanded.

Carol's breathing was labored, "Daryl."

He growled deep in his throat and thrust long and deep, one of his hands clenching her ass. Carol moaned as her dam broke and her insides clenched and pulsed around his member repeatedly as she fought to stay upright. Daryl followed suit moments later pouring himself inside of her with one last thrust, his face tight with the pleasure he was receiving. Carol thought it was perhaps the most erotic thing she had ever seen.

He slowly let her leg down from around his bicep and wrapped his arms around her as she let go of the bar. He chuckled, "You alright?" 

Carol shook her head. "I don't know. I don't think I can feel my legs," she joked.

He pulled her face forward for a long kiss, his tongue seeking entry into her mouth, claiming her. She clung to him, wanting to be his entirely, even if just for the moment. When they pulled apart, she lay her head against his chest, listening to his heart beat frantically beneath his skin. He trailed his hands down her back and she shivered a little from the water that had now turned cold. He reached behind them to turn it off and grabbed a towel to wrap around her.

He rubbed her arms briskly to warm her. "I gotta go," he murmured against her forehead while he held her close. Carol couldn't withhold the disappointment she felt at that statement, but she had no claim over him and she had known that he wouldn't stay from the moment she saw him. "I gotta take the truck back," he explained.

Carol gave him a small smile that she really didn't feel. "It's okay."

He inhaled deeply, still gloriously naked and dripping in front of her, "You want me to come back?" He asked softly.

"You're free to do as you please Daryl. I have no claim over you."

He smirked, "There has never been a more false statement uttered."

Carol frowned, "What do you mean?"

He avoided the question and kissed her forehead, "I'll drop the truck off and I'll be back. Gonna keep the bed warm for me?" 

Carol nodded and let out a relieved sigh. She was getting more time. She would have tonight and as he began to dress she knew that they would be doing anything but sleeping when he returned.

..........


	5. Chapter 5

..................

Carol wasn't sure exactly what time she had fallen asleep, but when she woke and squinted at the clock with one eye she saw that it was eleven in the morning. There was also a very heavily muscled arm draped across her midsection effectively pinning her in place as Daryl slept next to her. She twisted and stared at him. His features were softened in sleep, his face relaxed more than she had ever seen it. She lightly ran her fingers through a lock of his hair that had fallen across his eyes. His hair was shaggy and slightly long, but she thought it gave him a certain added sex appeal so she wasn't complaining. He sighed in his sleep and then cracked one eye open lazily to stare at her.

"Morning," she said softly.

Carol wasn't sure what else to say. He had spent the night and they had had sex in her bed countless times before collapsing into each other's arms. She wasn't sure what the protocol was for something like this so she was treading softly until she got a better feel for what he expected from this. They hadn't really talked about anything more than sex and Carol was starting to feel something deep inside for this man she hardly knew. She was terrified of getting her heart broken and feeling like a slut because she was married. She wished yet again for a way out, a way to leave Ed. But where would she go when she did? How would she survive? She had no money, no job, and no more living relatives to speak of. It was just her.

"What are you thinkin' about so hard?" His thick raspy voice cut through the quiet of the morning, his eyes staring at her.

She shook her head, "Nothing."

He dipped his head and nipped at her bare shoulder, causing her to giggle and squirm. "Got ways of making you talk." He raised a brow defiantly. "Now spit it out woman," he demanded in a voice that he usually reserved for sex.

Carol sighed and played with the edge of the blanket. "Are we...I mean are you and I- Are we a thing or is this just sex?" Her heart was pounding so hard and she was sure that he could feel it through the blankets.

He blinked several times as if he were trying to become more alert and then he rubbed his forehead, "I like you. A lot." He paused and let out a deep breath. "I don't know what else I can give you right now. I don't want this," He gestured with his hands at them, "to end. I haven't ever been like this with anyone else."

Carol lay there and tried to process that information. It wasn't the fairy tale she had been expecting, but then again life never seemed to work out that way for her. Regardless, she tried to put on a happy face that at least he wasn't tired of her. She still didn't know what he saw in her, but the man was gorgeous and she briefly wondered how many women had warmed his bed or vice versa. The thought saddened her somewhat and she tried to refocus her thoughts elsewhere.

"Are you hungry?" 

His eyes slid to hers. "What's on the menu?" He arched his brow suggestively.

She snickered and pushed at his chest playfully, "Pancakes and bacon?" 

He closed his eyes and groaned. "Woman, you're after my heart," he said dramatically. Her heart thudded at that statement and she tried to wiggle out from beneath him, but his arm tightened. "Cook naked for me?"

Carol gaped at him, "I can't do that!" She blushed.

He shrugged, "Why not? You got curtains don't you? We've already seen what each other's got."

Carol knew he was right, but still. Things looked a bit different in the daylight standing up. She wasn't a supermodel and her body wasn't in its twenties anymore. A small smile crept over her face and she knew that he would get his way again. Not that she minded. She was coming to learn a lot about herself sexually.

"I suppose I can make an exception just this once," she said teasingly.

He growled, "Now that's a way to wake up in the morning."

...

Carol had never cooked anything naked in her life and she was quickly learning that bacon was not the best thing to cook while naked. She had finally grabbed her apron from its hook inside the pantry and tied it around her to prevent the grease from splattering her. Daryl was somewhere in the house. She heard him moving around, but he hadn't made an appearance yet. She flipped the bacon once more and then began layering the pieces onto a paper towel to drain. She felt his presence before she heard him enter the room. She glanced over her shoulder and saw him standing there in all his naked glory, leaning against the entryway to the kitchen. His eyes were heated as he watched her move about the kitchen. She tried to ignore him as she prepared the skillet for pancakes.

He crossed the tiled floor until he was just behind her, his body pressed against hers. "An apron?" He questioned softly. "Thought we agreed on naked?"

Carol's skin warmed at his voice like it always did. "We did. I just kept getting splattered with grease," she commented.

He muffled his face into the curve of her neck and breathed in, making her swallow hard and lose focus some on the pancakes she was trying not to burn. His hand slid down her back and over her naked ass, cupping the soft flesh in his hands. "On second thought," he commented, "I can work with this."

She finished cooking the pancakes with him behind her the entire time and once she had them on the plate, she turned and he placed his arms on either side of the counter, trapping her in place. "What are you doing?" 

"Appetizer," he whispered before his lips descended upon hers.

She sucked in a breath as his strong hands gripped her ass and lifted her onto the counter, placing her in a very vulnerable position. He eyed her hungrily when he pulled away and her breathing quickened in anticipation. Daryl had a very strong sexual appetite, but she found that she was more than willing to accommodate him. She began to untie the apron as he kissed her neck, but his hands stopped hers.

"Leave it," he muttered and so she moved her hands to grip his shoulders instead.

He slipped on of his fingers underneath the soft cloth of the apron and stroked her, rubbing her clit teasingly. She closed her eyes with pleasure. She was a little sore from their all night marathon, but he was being so gentle that she wasn't uncomfortable with it. He placed his hands on her thighs and spread them apart, baring all of her to his gaze. She wanted to shut her legs in the bright light, but his hands prevented her from doing so.

"Where you goin'?" 

Out of my mind, Carol thought. She shook her head in response and he bent his head to lick her slit top to bottom. She moaned, not longer caring that they were both naked and in a kitchen. She wanted this and she wanted it badly. He pushed his tongue in farther and circled her clit before suckling it softly. Carol's eyes fluttered to the back of her head as she leaned against the kitchen cabinets.

"You like that?" He muttered as he lapped at her. Carol nodded, completely lost in the moment. "I don't hear you." Daryl paused and arched a brow at her.

"Yes!" 

Carol grabbed him by the hair and pushed his face down into her again. He chuckled softly before sliding his tongue inside of her once more. He twisted and slipped one finger down to her ass, teasing the puckered hole there. Carol's eyes flew open and she tensed at the unfamiliar sensation as he looked up at her.

"Just relax," he whispered. "Trust me."

She swallowed and nodded softly, realizing she did trust him and she closed her eyes once more. His fingers slipped in and out of her slit while his mouth nibbled on the inside of her thigh. When he circled the ring of muscle once more with a wet finger she tried to refrain from tensing. He eased his finger inside of her slowly, his mouth sucking her clit and driving her to distraction. He worked his finger past the muscle and all of the way inside.

"Fuck. That's tight," he gasped.

He began to slide his finger in and out of her as he continued to lavish her with his tongue. The sensation of something being there combined with cooking for him naked and having him between her legs looking up at her caused her to cry out and thrust her hips forward. He moaned in approval as she pulsed with wetness, his mouth working to capture her juices while she sagged against the cabinets in exhaustion.

Once he had finished, he eased his fingers out from inside of her and kissed her lightly on the mouth. She could see his cock dripping and she reached for it, intending to return the favor, but he stopped her yet again. "No. That was for you," he said. "It's not about me right now."

"You've got to let me return the favor," she insisted.

He shook his head. "I'll get mine later. Right now I want some of those pancakes and bacon," he declared.

Carol's stomach growled and she realized that she too, was famished. But then again, when was she not when this man where this man was concerned? Watching him fill his plate and wink at her, she felt her heart warm and she knew that she had already become attached whether she wanted to or not.

...

"Are you sure this is what you want to do?" Carol asked Daryl as he grabbed her hand and led her up to the ticket booth at the movie theater.

"Long as you don't have any objections I think so. Unless you'd rather go somewhere else?" He stopped and looked at her with a serious expression.

Carol shook her head. She didn't care what they did as long as he was spending time with her. "This is fine," she said. "Really." They had eaten their fill of pancakes and bacon before collapsing back onto the bed for an afternoon nap. He had woken her some time later and she had fixed them homemade chicken salad sandwiches before he suggested going to a movie.

They had walked outside and Carol had spotted a motorcycle sitting at the curb. He had gestured to it and she had looked at him curiously. She hadn't known that he owned a motorcycle as well. She remembered vaguely of riding behind his brother Merle, but riding with Daryl was so much better. She got to wrap her arms around him snugly as they rode. He was just as good of, if not better than, a driver as his brother except he was actually sober.

She didn't pay any attention to the movie that Daryl chose while he was getting tickets as her eyes spotted the concessions. Chocolate covered raisins were her favorite. Daryl eyed her, watching her glance over at the candy. "Got your eye on something?" 

Carol blushed, knowing she didn't have any money. He had already generously supplied the tickets. She didn't want to ask him for candy as well. "I'm okay," She replied as she tried to keep walking, but she went as far as arm's length before realizing he wasn't budging.

"Which one?" He pressed.

Carol shook her head. "I don't need it Daryl. It's fine."

He bent his head so that only she could hear his voice. "Tell me which one or I'll fuck you right here in the public bathrooms and I don't care who sees." His voice was smooth and soft.

Carol sighed and relented, ignoring the delicious shiver that traveled the length of her spine at his statement. "Chocolate covered raisins."

Daryl nodded and purchased two boxes along with a large drink for them to share. He passed her the boxes as they entered the dark theater. "Two?" 

He nodded briskly, "Yep. In case one isn't enough."

His hand fell to the small of her back as he guided her around several people and up the stairs to occupy a seat in the very back row. The theater wasn't really crowded. There were maybe fifteen people total and they were spread out onto various rows. Carol opened her raisins as the lights darkened further so that the previews could start. She glanced at Daryl once, but he seemed to be paying attention to the previews so she tried to focus on them too. The movie started and she saw that it was some sort of action flick so she grabbed a handful of raisins to eat while she watched. When Daryl's hand slipped between her legs and he ran his finger up the crease of her jeans that pressed against her she dropped several raisins on the floor.

"Shit," she hissed softly.

Daryl's hand drifted over to squeeze her thigh. "Relax," he whispered.

That was easy for him to say. She was sure that he got some kind of kick out of doing sexual things in places where he could potentially be caught. It was like a high for him or something. She grabbed the drink and took a big sip, trying to dislodge the raisins that didn't want to go down her dry throat. He leaned over and reached inside the box for some raisins, his breath caressing her ear as his other hand sneakily unbuttoned her jeans. He shot her a dark look as he popped a handful of raisins into his mouth at the same time his other hand unzipped her pants. She sucked in a breath and glanced around the dark theater at the spectators that surrounded them. No one was paying them any attention, but Carol felt exposed and it was making her shamefully wet. He slid his finger inside of her wet heat, letting out a soft hiss under his breath. He circled her clit several times and she shifted in her seat, going through raisins as fast as she could shovel them in an attempt to keep her cool. He chuckled in the seat next to her, "Those raisins good?"

She shot him a look and stuck her tongue out at him. "You planned this the entire time, didn't you?"

He shrugged and slid his hand out of her pants. "We can stop if you want," he stated. Carol definitely knew she didn't want to stop and she shook her head. "Can you hold the drink for me?" 

Carol nodded and reached between his legs for the drink, gasping softly when she grabbed something else that was definitely not drink. She ran her fingers over his exposed cock and glanced down at it in the darkness before meeting Daryl's smirking gaze. His eyes glittered in the darkness. He placed his hand over hers and together they stroked him quietly, surrounded by people yet in their own little world. He leaned over and suckled her earlobe softly. "I'm addicted to you, Carol," he whispered.

She felt her breath hitch, "Ditto."

He moved his hand from on top of hers and she continued to stroke him up and down. His eyes were open to slits and he was staring at the screen, but Carol knew he wasn't watching the movie. She found that she was getting a thrill out of pleasing him here like this and seeing him struggle to hold it all in. She decided to throw some of his own tricks back at him and leaning over she whispered, "I can't wait for you to fuck me when we get back. Your hard cock inside of me, stretching me out," she purred.

Daryl twitched and then bit his fist as she felt his seed spill over onto her hand. His eyes slid over to hers several minutes later. "That was dirty," he whispered. "I loved it." She smiled softly and then her attention was diverted on how she was going to clean herself up. Daryl was clearly enjoying himself, "I don't have any napkins. Guess you're gonna have to lick it off of you."

Carol glanced at her sticky hand and then shrugged as she stuck her fingers in her mouth one by one and sucked them clean. Daryl watched her with hooded eyes and she made sure to go extra slow for his benefit. He tucked himself back into his pants a few minutes later and she straightened her jeans.

He opened the other box of raisins and dug inside for a handful to pop into his mouth. She watched him for a moment. "You know our hands aren't clean, right?" 

He shrugged. "Gives it flavor," he replied back with a wink.

She stared down at her empty box and then eyed his. She snaked her hand over and tried to make a grab for his box, but he held it out of reach with a chuckle.

"Can I have some more?"

He chuckled. "Yeah sweetheart, I'll give you more tonight. All night long if you want it," he replied suggestively.

She shook her head at him with a smile, "Come on!"

"Tell you what," he said as he shifted in his seat to face her. "Trade you these here raisins for a kiss and another night."

Carol bit her lip. She knew what her answer would be, but she didn't want him to know that she was going to give in so easily. After several minutes, she nodded and he drew her face to his tenderly, capturing her lips with his. It was the sweetest kiss they had ever shared and Carol's heart melted ten times over from it. When he pulled back, he stared at her for several minutes with an expression she had never seen before. He cleared his throat and licked his lips before settling back to finally watch the movie. Carol smiled when a few minutes later his hand found hers and she threaded her fingers with his contentedly.

..........


	6. Chapter 6

...............

The weekend hadn't been long enough for Carol and when Daryl had left out early Sunday morning she had fallen back to sleep, trying to catch up on all of the sleep she wasn't used to missing out on. She hated that he had had to leave out so early, but he had said he was supposed to go hunting with Merle so he was expected back for that. The whole weekend had just been incredible to her, like nothing she had ever experienced before. She found herself humming as she did things around the house because she was deliriously happy. She realized though, that she had been living in an unrealistic bubble as soon as Ed had walked back in the door. He was tired and because of that he was grumpy, but luckily she didn't have to put up with it very long because he had gone straight to bed to sleep. She smiled to herself, thinking about Ed sleeping in the bed after everything that she and Daryl had done on those same sheets.

Monday signaled an abrupt end to her happiness as Ed woke up grumpier than usual and set about throwing dishes at her because apparently she couldn't do anything right anymore. She had slumped against the counters in relief when he had finally left for work. The rest of her week passed much the same way. Ed would wake up and she never knew what kind of mood he was going to be in. She found herself exhausted again, but in a different way as she worked to try and please him so that he wouldn't hit her again. Somehow or another she managed to ride out the week without any physical abuse, but she never escaped the emotional abuse. Friday was their five year anniversary and Carol was nervous. She knew it could go one of two ways. Either Ed would just forget about it and they would have another "normal" night at home with him drinking or he would try to take her out somewhere and he would probably end up drinking there too. Either way the night likely wouldn't end too well for her.

So when Ed finally walked through the door on Friday afternoon, Carol tensed with apprehension. He walked straight into the kitchen where she was wiping off a counter that was already clean and headed straight for the fridge, ignoring her. He opened a beer and drank half of it before finally staring at her.

"What the hell you looking at?" Ed griped.

Carol swallowed and shook her head quickly, moving on to another task to keep her busy. "Nothing," she replied quietly.

"I ain't forgot that it's our anniversary in case you were wondering. I guess since your lazy ass didn't cook any dinner that I can see, we can go out to eat," he commented.

Carol slid her eyes to him nervously. That wasn't what she had been expecting, but she wouldn't dare question it. She turned to go and freshen up when he grabbed her arm, his grip pinching her skin.

"Make sure you put on somethin' sexy. Not none of them baggy ass clothes you normally wear. If I'm going out in public with you, then I don't want to be embarrassed," Ed said.

Carol nodded, dropping her eyes to the floor and thinking that she was likely to be the one to end up embarrassed before the night was over. He let go of her wrist after a few minutes and she went down the hallway to their bedroom to look in her closet for something appropriate. She knew she didn't own anything "sexy" and she stood there for a few minutes, trying to decide what to do. Her hand reached out for the tight jeans that she had worn for Daryl and her eyes fell on the skirt that she had shoved to the back of her closet after she had shortened the length. It was the skirt that she had saved for funerals or church events, but she hadn't worn it in some time except for that first night at the bar when she had met Merle. She ran her fingers over it, wondering if Ed would approve or if he would go ballistic.

"What the hell is taking so damn long?" Ed shouted down the hallway.

Carol sighed and snatched the skirt off of the hanger, grabbing a top to go along with it. "I'm almost ready."

"Hurry the hell up! It's happy hour down at the bar!" 

Carol shrugged out of her clothes, trying to unzip the skirt so that she could slip it on quickly. She heard Ed behind her as she bent over to place her foot inside of the skirt. She tried to ignore him as he crossed the room and he stopped behind her, running his hand over her ass as she yanked the skirt up. She cringed at his touch before turning and he eyed the skirt curiously. She was pretty sure that Ed had never paid this skirt any attention, but she was still nervous that he might figure out that she had shortened it somehow and then would demand to know why.

"Is this okay?" She asked.

He smirked. "I guess that will do. We don't have enough time to make you into a supermodel, but at least that's a step in the right direction," he muttered. "I'm going to crank up the car. Hurry the fuck up."

"Yes Ed," Carol said wearily.

This was going to end badly, she could just feel it.

...

Carol almost fell out of her seat when Ed turned the car into their destination. Her heart began pounding loudly in her chest and she glanced over at him in the driver's seat.

"Whiskey Heat?" She asked carefully.

Ed grunted. "Fella I ran into today told me about this place. Said they got good drink specials and the atmosphere isn't too bad either," he said distractedly.

Carol's eyes scanned the parking lot as she tried to remain calm and not give away that she was freaking out on the inside. This was a bar that Merle frequented. If Merle happened to show up then how would she explain her way out of that? What if Merle recognized her and said something that set Ed off? Her stomach was a bundle of nerves as she followed Ed inside of the bar. At least she hadn't seen a motorcycle anywhere in the parking lot and maybe if she was lucky they would get in and out before Merle decided to show himself.

The bar was crowded and they had to squeeze into a booth in the back near the bathrooms. The table was sticky and Carol grabbed a napkin to try to wipe at the disgusting filth.

"What the fuck are you doing?" Ed growled.

"I'm just trying to wipe the table a little."

Ed snatched the napkin from her hand, "Stop that shit. Can't take your ass nowhere."

Carol stuck her hands in her lap as a waitress walked over to their table. Ed's eyes immediately zoned in on the woman's ample chest size and he smiled at the woman. Carol wanted to throw up and she resisted the urge to bolt.

"What can I get ya to drink?" The woman said as she popped her gum.

"I'll have a water please," Carol replied.

Ed leaned forward onto his elbows, "I'll have the house special sweetness." He winked at the woman.

The waitress smiled at him and popped her gum again as she scribbled on a pad. "Coming right up," she said as she walked away.

Carol knew this was going to be a long night and she silently prayed for it to pass quickly. There were too many people here and plenty of alcohol. Those two things alone were enough to make her nervous that Ed would make an ass of himself. She fidgeted with the hem of her skirt, suddenly feeling that it was way too short. She was wishing she had just worn her jeans instead when Ed suddenly slid out of the booth and walked over to the doorway without a word to her. She tried to crane her neck to see where he was going, but the waitress chose that moment to make her appearance with the drinks and Carol's view was blocked. She could hear Ed's loud mouth greeting someone, but she couldn't tell who and the waitress clearly wasn't budging until she took down their food order.

"What can I getcha to eat?" 

Carol hadn't seen a food menu anywhere so she took a stab in the dark, "Just a plain cheeseburger?" 

The woman nodded and scribbled, "And for him?" She asked with a jerk of her head in the direction Ed had gone.

Carol knew better than to order anything for Ed. She held up her finger at the woman in a gesture to wait a moment and leaned around to see if she could spot Ed. She could see the sleeve of his shirt as he made his way back over, still talking to someone. The waitress stepped to the side so that Ed could take his seat and then the woman squealed slightly.

"Dixon! You sly devil," she blushed and giggled, moving over a bit more and Carol's heart stopped.

Merle's grinning face appeared before her eyes and she wanted to whimper and melt into her seat. He hadn't really focused on her yet as he was too busy flirting with the waitress to notice anything else.

"Now Rachel, where ya been darlin'? Ain't seen your pretty lil' ass in these parts in a while," Merle was saying to her.

The woman, who was apparently named Rachel, laughed and placed her hand on his chest. "Had some things to take care of. Got rid of my old man and had to move. Got me a roommate now."

Merle's smile widened, "Well now, you need any help gettin' settled in then just give ol' Merle a call."

Carol watched as he settled his hand on the woman's ass. He was still as smooth as she remembered. Although when she had been here, there had been less people and he hadn't seemed to be in as good of a mood.

Rachel leaned into him. "I could use some help unloading some boxes after my shift," she purred.

"I'd be more than happy to help ya with that. I'll be around sugar," Merle replied.

He suddenly seemed to realize that there were more people around them and he glanced at Ed who motioned for him to sit. Sliding in next to Ed his gaze finally landed on her and she could see him wrinkle his brow in concentration.

"Hello, I don't believe we've met," Carol said nervously. "I'm Ed's wife, Carol."

Merle tilted his head at her as he studied her and she saw the exact moment that his brain registered the name. He smiled at her then, and Carol held her breath, waiting on him to say something that would surely get her beaten to death later. Instead he merely tipped his head at her with a wink.

"Nice to meet ya Carol. Name's Merle," he replied and Carol wanted to slump in her seat with relief.

Rachel cleared her throat, obviously impatient now that the attention wasn't on her. "What can I get you fellas to eat?" 

"I'll have a hamburger steak and fries. Another special too while you're at it sweetness," Ed said as he held up his now half empty glass.

Rachel nodded and smiled at Merle, "You want your usual Merle?" She asked sweetly.

"Ya know me too well darlin'. Bring me some of them nachos too sugar." 

She smiled once more and walked away to fulfill the order. Carol sipped at her water and felt extremely awkward. Ed and Merle began to talk about something that was of no particular interest to her and she began to pick at her nails, wishing time would move at a faster pace. The bar began to get even more crowded as others drifted in and in turn the noise level increased as well so that she couldn't really hear much of anything. Someone deposited money into the jukebox and Carol wondered how they expected to hear the music over the noise of the crowd. Rachel came back with their food and Carol was relieved to have something to focus on. She wasn't hungry in the least, but she began picking at the burger anyway.

Suddenly Merle shouted over the noise and threw up his hand with a whistle. "Over here!" He yelled out over the crowd.

Carol turned and died a thousand deaths when her eyes met the fierce baby blues staring back at her as he walked across the bar towards them. She felt a flutter in her belly as his eyes cut over her quickly before focusing on Merle.

"Didn't think your ass was gonna show up!" Merle shouted to Daryl.

Daryl shrugged. "Didn't have nothin' else better to do."

Merle turned to Ed, "This is my baby brother Daryl."

Ed nodded his head at Daryl, "I know him. You're the one who fixed our car."

Daryl shrugged and his eyes shifted to her. "Nice to see you folks again," he said as his eyes locked with hers.

She looked away, trying not to flush under his stare. "Slide the fuck over woman and let him sit down!" Ed yelled over the table.

Carol immediately slid over in the booth and Daryl slipped in next to her, his arm brushing against hers. He turned to her, "Thanks."

She gave him a small smile, aware of Ed watching her and then dropped her eyes back to her plate. After a few moments, Rachel made her way back over to the table.

"Well, well, what do we have here? If it ain't baby Dixon," she said loudly as her eyes slid over Daryl appreciatively.

Carol watched the exchange with interest and slight jealousy. She would be a fool if she thought that Daryl had never had sex before her, but she truly hoped that he hadn't been with Rachel who seemed like she was a little too familiar with every man that came into the bar. Daryl tipped his head at her. "Rachel," he said in greeting.

Rachel beamed, obviously pleased that Daryl had used her name. "What can I get you sweetheart?"

"Jack and Coke," Daryl replied.

Rachel squeezed his arm, running her hand up his bicep, "You got it honey." She flashed another smile as she turned away to go grab his drink.

"So Ed, how's the car running?" Daryl asked as he made himself comfortable in the booth next to her.

Carol felt his hand on her knee suddenly and she coughed slightly as her burger stuck in her throat. Daryl handed her her water and she sipped it gratefully, finally getting the piece of food to slide the rest of the way down. Daryl watched to make sure that she was okay before turning his attention back to Ed.

Ed was already talking about the car, not paying any attention to the fact that she had been slightly choking. Daryl's hand came to rest on her knee again, sliding upwards to the hem of her skirt before stopping. Rachel placed a glass in front of Daryl and winked at him before running off to another table where someone was trying to flag her down. Carol watched out of the corner of her eye as Daryl took a sip of his drink. He was focusing intently on Ed, but she knew that he wasn't actually paying Ed any attention. Merle jumped into the conversation and the topic switched to cars, Daryl occasionally throwing in a comment here and there. She shifted in her seat and Daryl's hand slipped underneath the edge of her skirt causing her throat to run dry. He didn't stop this time and his hand traveled slowly upwards until the tips of his fingers brushed against her panties. She was already wet for him and she wanted to swat his hand away for daring to do something so reckless while Ed was sitting right in front of them, but she couldn't draw that much attention to them. Pretending to look around the bar, she looked over at Daryl again and saw that he wore a small smile on his face.

The damn man knew exactly what he was doing to her.

She shifted again and Ed glared at her, "What's your problem woman? You're shiftin' the whole damn table!" 

Carol blushed slightly, "Sorry."

Daryl reached over and snagged some of Merle's nachos with his free hand that wasn't up her skirt and Merle frowned at his brother. "Don't be eatin' all my damn food!" 

Daryl flipped him off and reached over again, dipping the chip into the melted cheese. "Fuck off. You eat my shit all the time," Daryl replied as he chewed.

Merle scowled at him, but turned back to Ed again to say something that Carol couldn't quite catch. Daryl's finger worked its way underneath her panties and teased her entrance, slipping his finger barely inside of her. She knew he could feel her wetness, but she didn't risk looking at him again. She was getting so worked up and all of the people surrounding them didn't help matters.

Daryl turned to her, "How's your burger?" 

Carol wanted to glare at him, but instead she just smiled at him. "It's okay," she replied, "I'm not that hungry." Daryl raised a brow at her, sliding his finger all of the way inside of her as he did so and Carol swallowed thickly, placing her hands flat on the table for a moment.

"That's a shame," Daryl commented as if he were simply having a conversation about the weather. "Was going to recommend the apple pie here. It's pretty good. About the only damn thing they manage not to screw up."

Carol focused on trying to breathe normally as he continued his assault between her legs. It felt all kinds of dirty, but it felt amazing all the same. She took another sip of her water, wishing that she and Daryl were alone instead of in this crowded room. It had been a week since she had seen him and her body ached for him.

"Hey!" Merle yelled. Carol's eyes snapped up guiltily, but he was looking at Daryl and she let out a relieved breath. "We're walkin' outside and I'm gonna show Ed the bike. Comin'?"

Daryl glanced at Ed and Merle before shaking his head. "Nah. I think I'm gonna have some pie while you're gone."

Carol felt herself warm at his statement and Ed finally fixed his stare on her. She could tell that he was well on his way to becoming drunk, but she couldn't force herself to care at the moment while Daryl's finger was inside of her.

"Stay the hell here 'til I get back," Ed said to her. "Don't wanna have to go lookin' for you."

Daryl's finger flicked over her clit and Carol nodded weakly as she bit down hard on her tongue to keep from crying out in pleasure. "Okay," she replied softly.

Carol almost collapsed with relief when the two men walked out of the bar and Daryl slid over a little closer to her, his eyes staring at her intently. Her breathing hitched and she turned her head to stare back at him.

"You miss me?" 

Carol nodded. "You know I did," she panted in reply.

Daryl's eyes darkened at her admission. "You're so fuckin' wet. I want to take you out back and fuck you in that skirt," he said gruffly. He circled his finger over and over her clit, making her head fall back to the booth. No one was looking at them and she felt like if they did that they would immediately know what Daryl was doing to her. "You dressing up for him?" 

Carol shook her head softly. "No. Always for you," she panted as she kept an eye on the entrance to the bar. As long as no one stepped in front of her then she had a clear view to see when Ed and Merle came back inside.

"Look at me," Daryl demanded softly. Her eyes shifted to his. "I want to see you cum."

Carol spread her legs underneath the table slightly, relieved that the bar was dark and no one could see under them. "Ed-" Carol began breathlessly.

Daryl shook his head. "Don't worry about him. You think I'm going to let him stop me?" He asked darkly. "You're mine." He leaned closer to her, applying more pressure with his finger. "No man will ever fuck you like I do Carol."

Carol closed her eyes at his words as her orgasm washed through her body like a tidal wave. She reached underneath the table and gripped his thigh as she tried to keep from moaning loudly. He continued to stroke her softly as she slowly recovered from the intense pleasure. The appearance of Merle and Ed suddenly had her jerking upright and reaching for her water with shaky hands. Daryl slowly slipped his hand out of her and she watched in horror as he brought his fingers to his mouth and sucked them clean as if he had just finished eating. Carol's legs felt weak and she was grateful to be sitting down because she didn't think that they would support her if she wasn't.

"Thought Rachel was bringin' your ass pie?" Merle asked Daryl.

Daryl shrugged. "I changed my mind. Had something sweet earlier before I came. Don't need anything else."

Carol felt herself flush at his words and she knew that he was really referring to her. Merle grunted, he and Ed's attention diverted towards a blonde that was making her way around the room slowly. Daryl turned, picking up his glass and winked at her while the men were looking in the other direction. Merle nudged Ed and whispered something to him and Ed laughed. The sight made Carol sick to her stomach and she hated Ed in that moment as he sat there laughing. She let out a small sigh and wished that she could sink into Daryl's arms and inhale his sexy scent.

Ed turned to Merle and asked him something that Carol didn't catch, but Merle's expression turned serious and he nodded. Ed glanced at her. "Gonna ride with Merle here to check on some stuff. Take the car on home. I'll be there...when I get there." Ed chuckled and took another drink of whatever Rachel had filled his glass with.

"Ya drove the truck, lil' brother?" Merle asked Daryl.

Daryl nodded and pushed the keys across the table. "Knock yourself out," he said. "Give me your bike keys so I'm not stuck." Merle dug into his pocket and pulled out a set of keys that he handed to Daryl. Both of the men slid out of the booth and stretched, Daryl and Carol following their action. "How late you gonna be gone?" Daryl asked Merle.

Merle shrugged and he exchanged a look with Ed. "Late. Don't wait up," he responded and the two men shared a chuckle.

Carol didn't know what they had up their sleeve and at that moment she found that she really didn't care. She was too excited about the fact that they were leaving and the possibility of spending some time alone with Daryl to care about anything else. Ed tossed her the car keys before following behind Merle. He paused as if he just remembered something and turned to her, "Oh yeah. Happy anniversary," He said sarcastically as he grabbed her wrist and yanked her towards his body. He pressed his greasy lips to hers and Carol tried not to gag as he slipped his tongue into her mouth. She knew that Ed was just putting on a show. He never kissed her anymore and especially not like that. It was disgusting, especially after she had experienced Daryl's kisses. Ed panted as he pulled away and Carol resisted the urge to wipe her mouth in front of him.

"Come on Ed! Got time for that shit later!" Merle yelled and he pulled Ed along behind him.

Carol quickly wiped her mouth and sneaked a glance over at Daryl. His eyes were dark and deadly as he glared a hole into Ed's retreating back. She could sense his tension as they finally made it outside of the bar. She walked over to their car slowly, taking her time until Ed and Merle could leave the parking lot. Daryl still stood at the entrance, his eyes following the truck as Merle drove off. She looked over at him as the headlights disappeared into the darkness. He stepped out from under the glare of the light by the entrance door and headed in her direction. He didn't even stop as his body pinned her to the car. He lifted the hem of his sleeveless shirt and wiped her lips with it. She parted her lips and his descended on hers, hot and heavy. He kissed the breath from her and his hands slid around to cup her ass and bring her closer to his body so that she could feel his erection. She whimpered into his mouth and he pulled away from her, panting heavily. She stared at him, trying to judge his mood. She hadn't ever seen him this worked up.

"I don't care if he is your fucking husband. He touches you again and I'm going to beat the shit out of him," he muttered firmly.

Carol touched his arm, feeling the anger roll off of him in waves. "You can't," she pleaded. "You'll get in trouble and I'll just have to pay for it later."

Daryl growled, obviously torn between wanting to pound into Ed and wanting to be with her. He grabbed her hand. "Come on," he insisted and she followed behind him as he led her around to the side of the building between several small trees and backed her against the wall where they would be hidden from view if someone happened to come by. He lifted her skirt and unzipped his pants, pulling his cock out in his hand. He pressed a kiss to her neck. "Gonna take you up against the wall," he murmured against her skin.

Carol shivered and nodded her consent. "Yes," she breathed.

He moved her panties to the side and slipped a finger inside of her quickly. "Fuck. You're already dripping. Gotta make this quick, sweetheart."

Carol was ready for him as he lifted her and she wrapped her legs around him. He slid her down onto his length and they both let out a guttural moan before he began thrusting inside of her. The brick of the building was cool and a little rough against her ass, but she hardly paid it any attention as Daryl slid in and out of her. She twined her arms around his neck and nibbled at the skin of his throat. He groaned and she could feel his harsh breath by her ear. He leaned his forehead against hers as their breath mingled in the night air. His face was taut as he thrust into her over and over and she had the distinct feeling that he was marking her. It sent a chill of pleasure down her spine as he moved his lips to suckle her neck. She slipped her hands underneath his shirt and flicked her nails over his nipples experimentally.

Daryl released an animalistic groan that tore through her body. "Nobody touches you, but me," he muttered harshly and Carol wanted to cry out in affirmation, but she was too far gone in her pleasure to form coherent words. Daryl's hands kneaded her ass. "I can't hold...much longer. Fuck me, Carol." Her name ended in a groan on his lips as her body spiraled into a vortex of pleasure. She rode him hard as he pumped into her and began spilling himself inside of her body. Carol hummed in her throat as she slumped in his arms, her back still pressed against the wall. Her body felt limp and sated as they both fought to catch their breath. Finally she unwound her legs from around his waist and stood somewhat shakily back onto the ground. Daryl backed up a step and lit himself a cigarette while staring at her.

"Don't ever get rid of that skirt," he commented.

Carol blushed, feeling warm and very desirable at that moment. "I won't."

Daryl made a noise in his throat. "I'll follow you home. Make sure you make it there alright." He blew out a cloud of smoke before taking another draw from his cigarette.

Carol's spirits fell at the thought of returning home, but she tried not to let it show. She grabbed his hand instead and pressed a kiss to the center of his palm. He gave her a small smile. "What was that for?" 

She shrugged. "It just felt right. Do I need a reason?" She teased.

He chuckled after a few minutes and shook his head at her. "Nah. You're never going to need a reason to do anything to me. You pretty much fucking own my body."

Yes, she thought sadly... she owned his body, but what about his heart?

..........


	7. Chapter 7

.................

Carol was jarred from her sleep by Ed whipping the blankets off of the bed. She was disoriented as she blinked and tried to figure out what exactly was going on.

"Fucking whore!" Ed roared. Carol cringed at his words and his loud voice. She quickly moved to sit up but he caught her by the elbow, holding her still as he looked down at her. "What the fuck is on your back?" 

Carol was confused for several moments and then she remembered the sex she and Daryl had had up against the outside wall of the bar the other night. She swallowed, her brain working quickly to come up with some sort of explanation. "I fell outside and scraped it as I was getting up," she said quickly.

Ed sneered at her. "Liar. I've already heard all about how you've got some asshole over here fucking ya while I've been gone on business trips." He grabbed her hair and twisted it tightly around his fingers, making her eyes water. "You think you're gonna make a fool of Ed Peletier, do ya?" He stuck his face right in front of hers, barely a breath away. "Answer me!"

Carol swallowed thickly, "No, Ed. I'm not cheating on you."

He smiled coldly. "Yeah not anymore. This shit stops now. You're mine Carol, you got that? Mine. If I ever catch the sorry bastard here again I'll slit his throat. I've got people in low places and don't you ever forget that whore," he spat.

Carol nodded and slowly his fingers relaxed in her hair. Carol stayed still and silent though, knowing that it wasn't going to be over that easy. She was right. His fist connected with her jaw next and pain exploded in her cheek as her eyes swam, tears spilling from them down her face. Grabbing her by the hair again he tugged and she cried out in pain as he dragged her from the bed, her feet scrambling for grip on the floor to keep from having a chunk of her hair pulled out.

"Gonna teach you a lesson and I bet your ass won't forget it. Ain't no man going to want you after this Carol."

Carol's head spun as he dragged her down the hall and into the spare bedroom. He pushed her inside and Carol fell to the floor, rubbing her head tenderly. He reared back as if to hit her again and he paused as they both heard the sound of someone knocking on the front door. Muttering to himself, he pointed at her, "Don't you fucking move."

He slammed the door shut behind him and locked it, leaving her penned inside of the room. Carol's hand ventured to her cheek and she tenderly touched it, wincing when the pain radiated throughout her face. She heard voices and she crawled over to the door to listen. One of the voices sounded familiar and she bent over, placing her ear near the crack underneath the door as she strained to hear. She heard laughter and then that deep Southern voice that belonged to none other than Merle Dixon.

Carol's mind was spinning. What was Merle doing here? Did something happen with Daryl? Did he know about her and Daryl? Carol's eyes fell on the phone beside the bed and she scurried over to it, her blood pumping. She had to warn him away. She had to. Her fingers shook as she hit the keys, dialing information to get the number to the shop where he worked. She recited the number over and over in her head while she dialed it and waited, praying that he would answer.

"Frankie's." That deep voice that she knew so well answered and she almost wanted to weep at the sound.

Carol sucked in a breath. She had never called Daryl at work and she hoped she could pull this off effectively. She cleared her throat, "Daryl?" 

"...Carol?"

"It's me."

"Hey sweetheart, what's up? Everything alright?" 

She could hear the tinge of worry in his voice and it cut through her like a knife. She took a deep breath, knowing that she had to hurry. "No, not really. Listen, I was just calling to let you know that I can't see you anymore."

There was a shuffling noise and Daryl spoke to someone in the background. "What the fuck you mean that you can't see me any more?" His voice was low.

"Be…Because I've decided to try to work things out with Ed," she lied. Carol bit her lip, the tears spilling down her face again, but this time for a very different reason.

Another pause. "Bullshit," he growled. "What's going on over there Carol? What did he fucking do?"

Carol turned her face away from the phone so that he couldn't hear her shaky breathing. "Nothing," she replied. "I can't…I just can't anymore Daryl. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

She heard the sound of the front door slamming and then footsteps. Panicking, she whispered into the phone, cutting off his next sentence. "I've gotta go. Please don't call me. Bye," Carol whispered hurriedly and hung up the phone, sliding down into the spot where he had left her. She held her breath and waited for the beating that was sure to come.

…

Daryl stared at the phone in his hand as the dial tone buzzed loudly at him. Frowning, he turned towards the shop, staring at Frankie, but not really seeing him as his mind scrambled for a reason why she would do this. He hadn't expected this at all.

A part of him knew that deep down this little thing they had going couldn't last forever. She was a married woman and he was technically having an affair with a married woman. Granted, every time Daryl saw the lousy bastard, he wanted to put his fist in his face, but that was a different story. He pressed the button to end the call finally and tapped the phone against his leg absentmindedly. Something wasn't right here. The Carol he had gotten to know wouldn't just end it like that. The sex was too good between them and he knew they had some sort of connection. Daryl couldn't just stay away from her. Hell, just this morning he had jacked off to visions of her in that damn skirt of hers when he had taken her against the wall at the Whiskey Heat bar.

"Daryl! You gonna stand there like a fuckin' shop ornament, or ya gonna actually do some work?" Frankie called out.

Daryl shot him the finger and hung up the phone, pulling out a cigarette to smoke. They weren't busy by any means right now, but Frankie's theory was that if he was working, everyone else should be too. And everyone else was Daryl because there wasn't anyone else that worked there except for some high school punk they used after school during the week to clean up shit. Daryl had bigger problems right now though. Like Carol and the fact that something about that phone call was nagging him. She hadn't sounded like herself and she damn sure hadn't sounded like she was going to work things out with Ed.

That would never work. Just the other night Merle had finally stumbled back inside the house after his night out with Ed, high as a fucking kite. Daryl had no doubt that Ed had probably arrived home the same way. The whole damn situation pissed the hell out of him and the longer he stood there smoking, the more pissed off he got. He threw his cigarette butt down onto the greasy shop floor and crushed it under the heel of his boot while blowing out a cloud of smoke.

"Frankie!" 

There were some muffled curses and then Frankie's head popped up from underneath the hood of a car. "What?"

"Gotta head out. Be back later," Daryl said as he grabbed up the keys to his bike and his smokes from the desk.

Frankie held out his arms. "What the hell Daryl?" 

Daryl headed for the exit, not caring one bit if Frankie had a problem with him leaving.

"Got some business to take care of," he muttered.

…..

Carol cried out as Ed spit in her face brutally. She tried to shield her face with her hands, but he kept pushing them away, his hands bruising her with their intensity.

"You wanna play whore, Carol?!" He yelled. "Let's play whore bitch!" Ed grabbed her by the foot and dragged her down the hallway towards the kitchen.

Carol tried to find something to grab onto, anything to keep her from being dragged like a rag doll all over the house. Ed was yelling again, screaming obscenities so Carol never heard the front door come open. He picked her up from the floor and backed her against the wall, his hand closing over her throat. She had never seen Ed so worked up before and he looked completely different to her...terrifying actually. She pushed at his arms, trying to push him away so that she could get her breath.

She felt the impact before she could figure out what was happening. She slid to the floor as Ed's hands were ripped from her throat and then Daryl was there. Chest and shoulders heaving and face as hard as stone, he threw himself into Ed, the only sounds coming from the room now being grunts and groans. Carol could only watch, frozen in place against the wall where she had slid, every swallow stinging a little.

One of Daryl's boots landed in Ed's side roughly before Daryl fisted his hand in Ed's shirt, bringing Ed's face up close to his. Ed's eyes were wide with shock as he stared up at Daryl whose face was colder than Carol had ever seen it.

"Listen up Ed and listen real good cause I'm only going to say this once you asshole." Daryl's voice was low and deadly. "You so much as lay one more fucking finger on her and I'm gonna show you what real pain feels like. You may think you some sort of badass, but you're no better than dog shit I've scraped off my boots. You wanna beat on something? You wanna be all big and bad?" Daryl pressed his face nose to nose with Ed, daring him to hit him. "Go for it. Let's see what you got. I'll even give you a pity shot, you fat bastard." Daryl smirked when Ed remained still and then he whispered so low that Carol almost didn't hear what he said. "By the way Ed, I fucked your wife at dinner the other night, right up under your nose and she was good Ed... real good." Daryl shoved Ed away from him roughly.

He glanced at her, his eyes roving over her quickly as he started to come her way. Then he stopped as if he had just remembered something and threw one more punch to Ed's face. Carol could see the blood trickling from Ed's mouth as he twisted and groaned.

Daryl walked over to her and helped her up, cradling her face in his hands gently. She winced as his finger brushed over her cheek lightly and his jaw tensed as he looked her over. She felt the hot tears sting her eyes and she almost couldn't bear to look at him after what she had said to him.

"You want me to leave?" He whispered softly.

Carol stared up into his blue eyes that didn't seem as full of fire as they had several minutes ago and shook her head. "No. I want…" She swallowed. "I want to get out of here. Please," she begged.

"This ain't over you bastard," Ed muttered from his place on the floor. "That's my wife."

Daryl smirked and led Carol safely around Ed before turning back and crouching before him. Carol saw Daryl's hand grab Ed between the legs and Ed cursed at him but Daryl didn't remove his hand.

"Not anymore, Ed," Daryl said and then he let go and ushered her out to his bike.

"Where are we going?" 

"Hotel. Think you can hold on long enough for me to get us there?" 

Carol looked at the bike and then back towards the house. She wasn't sure that it would be the most comfortable ride by any means, but she would make it work just to get away from there.

She nodded. "Let's go."

…

They ended up at a motel a few miles outside of town that Carol had never heard of before. Daryl checked them into a room while Carol waited outside. She felt bruised, beaten, and thoroughly exhausted. Daryl flicked on the light before leading her into the room where she immediately sat down on the bed. Her mind was spiraling out of control, the evening's events finally catching up to her. She was emotionally and physically drained.

Daryl moved about the room, but she wasn't paying him any attention as she tried in vain to take off her shoes so that she could lie down. Every time she bent over though, she wanted to cry out in pain. Finally she felt Daryl kneel down next to her and wordlessly he slipped off her shoes, setting them to the side. He eased her back onto the bed, his face a mixture of anger and worry. She reached up with her hand and cupped his cheek, smoothing her fingers over the wrinkles in his forehead. He let out a deep sigh and bent forward, brushing his lips to hers gently. It was the briefest kiss they had ever shared, but she felt so many emotions in that one touch that it left her breathless. He rubbed the pad of his thumb over her bottom lip thoughtfully.

"You know, for a minute there I thought you were giving me the boot."

Carol locked eyes with him, seeing the briefest glimpse of worry in his eyes before it disappeared. "How did you know I wasn't?" 

He shrugged, trailing his hand lightly down her body, but not in a sexual way. "You don't just write off something this strong. It isn't something to be brushed off or tossed aside.".

She stared at him, trying to assess whether or not he was admitting to something deeper between them than just a sexual connection. His face however, gave nothing away. She dragged her hand over to his and grabbed it, squeezing it tightly. Touching him was comforting to her and she clung to his hand as if he might disappear if she let go.

"Don't leave me."

"I won't," he replied. He brought her hand to his lips and pressed his soft lips to her skin.

"Sleep, sweetheart," he whispered before her eyes drifted closed.

.................


	8. Chapter 8

.............

Carol woke up tired and sore, sadly not a feeling that she was unaccustomed to. She could hear a low hum of noise and it took her a minute to figure out where she was. Her eyes drifted over the furnishings and she remembered she was in the motel that Daryl had taken her to.

And Ed.

She closed her eyes briefly at the thought of Ed and what had happened. She hadn't ever seen Ed act like that before even on his worst days. She remembered Daryl pounding into him and the whispered threats that had escaped his lips. His intensity had shocked her and the whole thing still seemed like some sort of dream although she could clearly feel the effects of it on her body. Rubbing her pounding head with her fingers she rolled over in the bed, surprised to see Daryl in the bed with her. He was leaning with his back against the wall, his long legs crossed at the ankles and he was asleep. She let her eyes roam over the length of him and how peaceful he looked while sleeping. He was bare chested, the only clothing he had on being jeans and boxers if he was wearing them. She could see his several tattoos in the soft light of the lamp and the TV that was broadcasting the low noise she had heard.

She lifted her head carefully to make out the bedside clock only to see that it was ten at night. She had slept for a while and now she needed to use the bathroom. The only problem was that she didn't feel like trying to move. The less she moved, the less it hurt. She had figured that out a long time ago.

Beside her Daryl stretched and yawned, the muscles in his arms bunching as he twisted them, his eyes fluttering open. He stared at the TV for a fraction of a second before his eyes locked onto hers and she could feel the intensity of his gaze sear through her skin. He must have mistaken her expression for a look of pain because he sat up and stared at her.

"You alright?" 

She shrugged. "My head is killing me. I'm starving and I'm scared that if I move I will find a ton of other problems to add to that list," she admitted. "I also have to go to the bathroom."

He stood up, crossing to the other side of the bed and taking her gently by the hands. She winced as several areas on her body protested the movements. He stayed next to her as she walked into the bathroom.

"I'll wait right outside the door. You need me then you let me know," he said in a voice that bore no arguments.

Carol nodded and he closed the door softly. She moved slowly over to the mirror above the sink, dreading the image that she would see staring back at her. She gripped the off-white basin with slim fingers and closed her eyes as she lifted her head. Taking several deep breaths she finally opened her eyes and stared at her reflection.

There was a colorful bruise on her cheek and faint red marks on her neck from what she could see in the mirror. Her face was pale and her eyes a little bloodshot. She raised a shaky hand to her cheek, her slender fingers hovering over the bruise.

"God Carol, what have you done?" She whispered to her reflection. "Look at you," she continued. "Beaten and abused in every sense of the word. You're not living. You're merely surviving."

She bit her lip before finishing her business and washing her hands slowly in the sink. Her back and sides were throbbing along with her head that was still thumping out its own beat inside of her skull. She opened the door, coming face to face with Daryl who was exactly where he had said he would be.

He stared at her for several moments before speaking, "Don't."

She tilted her head at him in confusion. "Don't what?" 

"Don't let him defeat you. You're giving up. I can see it." He walked away from the door, his jeans hanging low on his hips as he paced the room.

"Look at me," she said softly. "I've wasted over half of my life being abused by a man that I hate. He has defeated me, Daryl. I don't know what to do. I've been having an affair. If I can get a divorce, he'll get everything. Not that there's much left," she commented as she sat down on the edge of the bed with a sigh.

He spun on his heel his eyes hard and burning. "What happened to the woman who opened herself up to me? The woman who wasn't afraid to get her pleasure in a public place?" He gestured with his hands angrily as he paced the tiny room. "So what if he takes everything?" He dropped to his knees in front of her, his eyes flashing. " _He_. _Won't_. _Have_. _You_." He punctuated each word firmly, his eyes locked onto hers.

Carol felt the sob bubble up in her throat at his statement and it escaped before she could even try to stop it. He cradled her to his chest and even though it hurt, it also felt too good to be held to pull away. She let herself go and all of the hurt and anger she had bottled up over the years poured out of her. To Daryl's credit he never said anything, he just simply held her until she was reduced to mere sniffles, his fingers swiping gently under her eyes to wipe away her tears.

"Come on. Let's get you into a bath." He tugged her up to her feet gently and led her into the bathroom.

Carol stood in the center of the room as he turned on the faucets, making sure the water was the right temperature before turning back to her. He tipped her chin up with one finger and pressed his lips to hers for a quick kiss that left her spinning.

His hands drifted to her arms. "Gonna help you undress, alright?" 

Carol nodded. She was feeling all kinds of different things right now and she wasn't so sure that she could complete even the simple task of undressing. As the water slowly filled the tub and the steam swirled around the room, Daryl began to undress her. He slipped her shirt slowly over her head, his eyes coasting over her skin. She could see the firm set of his jaw and the way his nostrils flared when he slowly made his way around her, checking out every inch of her. His knuckles brushed against her back and he pressed a light kiss to her shoulder before undoing the clasp of her bra. She sucked in a breath as the air hit her naked chest and Daryl walked back in front of her. Her nipples hardened to pebbles under his gaze and his eyes flashed before he shifted them away almost guiltily.

He dropped to his knees and unbuttoned her jeans, his eyes sliding up to hers as he unzipped them and slid them down her legs. His fingers sliding down her skin had her inhaling a shaky breath. She swallowed thickly. She knew he was just trying to be gentle with her, but she couldn't help but get a little aroused in the process. She placed her hands on his shoulders while he helped her step out of the jeans. He held her hand as she stepped down into the tub, hissing at the heat from the water.

"Too hot?" He murmured.

She shook her head. "No. I need the heat. Just takes a minute to get used to is all."

Daryl nodded. "Gonna step out. Gotta call Merle and see what's up." He paused by the edge of the tub. "Think about what I said. You need to be strong...you haven't lost everything."

He stared at her and she could see that he wanted to say something more, but he didn't. He crossed the room and pulled the door closed, leaving her in the tub alone to think about what he had said.

….

Daryl shut the bathroom door and sat down heavily on the bed. His brain was working double time as it tried to keep up with all of his different thoughts. The sight of Carol so bruised and her spirit so beaten disturbed him. It also stirred up memories of his own fucked up childhood and he couldn't stand to see her in that way. A part of him was a little hurt by her admission that she had lost everything. He hadn't gone anywhere. He was still here and he was with her despite not really knowing what the fuck he was supposed to do now. He had just beat a man and literally kidnapped his wife. Somehow he knew that when Ed had time to think about the whole situation that the cops might be on the lookout for him.

That meant bad news for him because his record wasn't exactly clean. He had some petty charges on there for stealing some food a few times. He had been hungry and desperate, but that was a part of his life that he didn't like to think about. Times had changed and he was no longer that scared and starving little boy. He had become hardened to life over the years and he was determined not to let Carol slip into a hole of despair.

His hands shook and he cursed, reaching for a cigarette. He needed to call his dumbass brother and see if he could get a feel for what was happening. Reaching for the phone he put his cigarette in his mouth and lit it while he waited for Merle to pick up. He didn't think anyone was gonna answer and then finally Merle picked up.

"Hello?"

"It's about fucking time. It's me," Daryl said.

Merle cleared his throat. "No shit, Sherlock. Hang on a second." Daryl heard shuffling and voices and then Merle came back on the line, his voice low. "Where the fuck are you brother?"

Daryl sighed. So Merle had found out. He had known that it wouldn't take long. "Somewhere safe. What's the word around there?" 

"Christ Daryl! You fuckin' beat the shit outta Ed and ran off with his wife? I didn't even know you was fuckin' her," Merle said. "How long's that been goin' on anyways?"

Daryl ignored the question. "So Ed told you? You fucking best buddies now or what?"

Merle snorted. "Ed's a prick, but he's got some good connections for some good shit." He laughed.

"Fuck Merle!" Daryl swore and then lowered his voice when he thought about Carol in the next room. "You gotta quit that shit," he said in a low voice. "You need to keep your ass away from Ed too. Don't tell that bastard anything."

"Ya need to get your shit straight brother. I'll handle my end, but I gotta tell ya that Ed looked somethin' awful. He's fired up 'bout it now too. Keep an ear out. Might need to lay low."

Daryl nodded. "Yeah. Don't worry about me. I got this covered. I'll figure out something."

"Have to say I was right proud of ya when I saw that bastard though. Did a real number on him. Couldn't have done it no better myself," Merle said.

Daryl smirked. "Yeah. Thanks. I'll check in soon," he said before disconnecting the call.

He rubbed a hand through his hair and stared at the bathroom door, thinking about the woman just on the other side. He didn't know what the hell he was going to do next, but one thing was for sure: he wasn't letting her go back to Ed. She deserved better and he intended to give it to her.

............


	9. Chapter 9

...........

Carol sat down heavily on the motel room bed as they returned to the room after the hospital visit that Daryl insisted she make. She hadn't felt comfortable being in the emergency room waiting area and she could tell that Daryl had been just as uncomfortable as she had been. She was made to undress and her injuries recorded before an officer had been brought into the room to talk with her. She had insisted on Daryl staying with her the entire time, not wanting to be left alone for one moment. She was pressing charges on Ed, but she was worried about doing it. It wasn't that she didn't want him to pay for his crime, but she knew that once he got served with that information that he would try and turn it around on Daryl. Carol didn't want Daryl to get locked up for defending her and she made that clear to the officer who said that they would look into the situation and be getting back with her.

She watched as Daryl toed off his boots and took a long sip of one of the drinks they had picked up from the machine on the way to the room. They had stopped once for a quick bite to eat on the way home from the hospital, but Carol hadn't eaten much. She still wasn't feeling one hundred percent, but at least the Ibuprofen she had been taking for pain was helping her. She knew she couldn't expect to be completely recovered after only one full day, but she was tired of feeling beaten. She also didn't care for the stares that she tended to get because of her bruised face when she was out in public.

The crinkling of plastic had her turning in Daryl's direction and she watched as he took a bite out of a candy bar, his eyes drifting over to hers as he chewed. He sucked bits of caramel from his finger and slowly made his way over to her, stopping just in front of her. Swiping his finger over the candy bar to gather more caramel he ran his finger over her bottom lip, smearing the caramel over her skin. She sucked in a breath and her tongue darted out to lick at it.

"Fucking beautiful," he muttered.

Carol blushed and ducked her head slightly. "Not with these bruises I'm not."

He raised a brow, "Oh? You think so, huh?" 

"Daryl, I look like death. Your compliments are flattering, but you don't have to say them."

He snorted and grabbed her hand, tugging her up and flush against him gently. She could feel his erection very well through his jeans and she gasped. She had missed this connection with him, the feel of him touching her like this. He grabbed her hand and slid it over the front of his jeans. "You still think you're not beautiful?" He whispered.

She shook her head, "You're just horny."

His eyes darkened, "I do love a challenge."

She stared at him curiously. He lifted her shirt and tossed it behind him slowly, his fingers skimming the waist of her jeans before he slid them down, panties and all to join her shirt behind him. He trailed his fingers down her ribs lightly causing her to breathe in sharply, but not from pain. She couldn't focus on pain or discomfort when he was doing things like this to her.

"Daryl?"

He dipped his head and pressed his lips to her neck, sucking her skin into his hot mouth before nipping her soft flesh. Pulling his head back he glanced around the room a moment and then grabbed her hand, guiding her over to the mirror that hung over the dresser. He left her standing there, ignoring the questions in her eyes as he crossed the room to one of the chairs that sat in the corner. He pushed it across the room, stopping in front of the mirror. He sat down in the chair and then placed his hands on her hips, guiding her backwards onto his lap. Carol looked down at the floor until his finger lifted her chin, forcing her to stare at their reflection in the mirror. She swallowed hard, meeting his eyes in the mirror.

"I look…beaten," she whispered. Her bruises seemed to stand out to her and it was all that she could focus on. She didn't feel beautiful and she knew that her body was pretty average although she didn't say it out loud.

His chin rested on her shoulder and he shook his head softly. "No. You look like a beautiful woman waiting to be loved," he replied gravelly.

His fingers dipped between her thighs, teasing her slit and she gasped, closing her eyes against the sensations that rocked her. He paused. "No, eyes open. I want you to watch." He slowly began moving his fingers again when she opened her eyes. "I want you to see what I see...how fucking beautiful you are."

His words brought tears to her eyes and she blinked them back as he slid another finger inside of her wetness, sliding into her deeper. She leaned into his hard chest, letting go of a low moan. It was highly erotic to watch herself in the mirror and she was aware of every touch, every noise, and every breath as if she were watching some kind of fascinating movie on TV. His other hand came around her to cup her breast, his fingers rolling her nipple lightly as his mouth suckled her shoulder softly. His eyes never left hers in the mirror and it was his eyes. It was always his eyes. She trembled and he slid his legs apart, opening her up to him and she could see herself in the mirror. She watched with her gaze transfixed on the sight of him working his fingers into her. Carol could feel her breathing becoming more and more labored, but she couldn't tear her eyes away. His fingers slowed as she began to lift her hips against them and she whimpered, aware of her expressions in the mirror, but unable to help herself.

"Look at yourself. Opening up to me after everything…you're so beautiful Carol." His lips grazed her ear, his breath soft and caressing against her. "Look at your face. Pure pleasure."

She panted against him and nodded, "Yes. You give it to me."

"How? How do I give it to you, Carol?" He circled his fingers over her clit, making her cry out. "Like that?" She could only nod at him, beyond coherent thoughts as he continued. "Touch yourself."

Carol's eyes widened and she shook her head. "No. No I can't," she said quickly. She didn't know if she could do something so erotic in front of him. This was already more than she had ever done in her lifetime and it was enough for her at the moment. He didn't seem affected by her refusal though and he dropped the comment, not pushing her to do anything that she didn't want to do. She could feel his erection pressing against her through his jeans.

His lips found her ear and he suckled on her lobe, his fingers sliding back and forth over her clit in small circles. The friction was dizzying and delicious, causing her to moan again. He hummed his approval, switching hands and lifting his wet fingers to her mouth. "Taste yourself. See how beautiful you are."

She parted her lips, locking eyes with him in the mirror as she sucked her own juices from his fingers and his eyes narrowed to slits as her tongue slid over his skin. It wasn't as bad as she had thought it might be nor was it as awkward as she would have expected it to be.

"Good?" He asked darkly once she had released his fingers. He dipped his head and inhaled her scent, brushing his nose against the nape of her neck. Her body tensed, tightening as her release swelled over her. "Cum for me, Carol," he whispered in her ear.

It was her name on his lips that sent her over the edge. She bucked beneath his hand as her body crashed into wave after wave of pleasure. She somehow managed to keep her eyes open the entire time as she watched herself in the mirror, fascinated at her expressions as she rode out her release. Finally she collapsed against him, her eyes falling shut and her breathing heavy. He stroked her skin while pressing a soft kiss to her shoulder. Carol could still feel his hardness beneath her and she felt bad that he had focused so entirely on her. She reached underneath her and gripped him through his jeans, delighting in his sharp intake of breath.

"No. That was for you," he said through clenched teeth.

She shook her head, "No. You need a release. Let me help you."

"No," he said firmly. "Don't want you down there like some kind of whore."

Carol nodded, but she didn't see it quite the same way. She just wanted to bring him pleasure like he had done for her so many times. She stood up thinking that they were done, but he grabbed her wrist loosely. His hand unzipped his pants, tugging his cock out through the zipper. He let go of her wrist and tugged his shirt over his head, revealing his muscled chest to her gaze. She thought for a moment that he had changed his mind until he tugged her back onto his lap, facing him. With him still sitting in the chair this brought them closer together than usual and she found she kind of liked the closeness of it.

"Lift for me," he whispered softly.

She lifted her hips and he maneuvered himself before guiding her back down and onto his length. She groaned as he slid inside of her and it took her a minute to adjust again before she started moving against him. He framed her face with his hands, being careful not to touch her bruises. Their breaths mingled as she moved, and she knew it wasn't going to take her long. Her nipples slid against his chest creating a delicious friction that had her arching into him. He reached around her to cup her ass, his fingers massaging as she lifted. He pumped himself into her, his jaw clenched with his efforts. She felt herself begin to clench around him and his head fell back to the chair, his eyes falling shut through his own release. He groaned low and long as she tightened and convulsed around him.

"God!" She gasped. "I love you!" She bit out as her emotions spiraled into a thousand different directions.

She fell forward into the curve of his neck, coming down from her sexual high slowly. Only then did it really occur to her what she had said and she stiffened slightly, wondering if he had managed to hear her over his own groans. She slowly lifted her head and found him staring at her. She swallowed and tried to climb off of him, but his arms wrapped around her, holding her still.

"I…" She blushed. "I shouldn't have said that," she explained. "I know it was probably too soon."

"So you don't love me then?" 

Carol bit her lip, wondering what she should say here. She knew that deep down she loved him, but she didn't know if he would run if she admitted to it in front of his face. Finally she sighed and nodded. "I do. I do love you," she admitted softly.

"Are you afraid to tell me?" He inquired carefully.

Carol shook her head. No, she wanted to tell him, she was afraid that he wouldn't love her back. She didn't think she had ever heard a man tell her he loved her besides her Daddy and that didn't count. She couldn't even remember Ed saying it at the wedding. Not that she cared about whether or not Ed loved her because she didn't. There was only one man that she wanted and he was currently staring at her with eyes as blue and deep as the ocean. She could stare into them forever and never grow tired.

"I'm not afraid really. I just don't want to scare you off."

He chuckled lightly and glanced down at their joined bodies. "Do you really think I'm going somewhere?"

Carol blushed as she followed his gaze. She smacked him playfully on the shoulder. "You know what I mean." Her expression grew serious. "I don't know how you feel about this," she gestured to them, "...to us."

He let out a deep breath and rubbed his forehead slowly. "Never had much experience with love to be honest. Never much been around someone I liked enough to think about it." Carol looked away at his words, trying not to let her disappointment show.

"Until now," he finished.

.............


	10. Chapter 10

.............

Carol's mind was reeling in a thousand different directions that night as she tried to sleep. Daryl had started out with his arm around her, but then once he had fallen into a deep sleep he had rolled and gotten himself all twisted up into the sheets. Now she was treated to the sight of the hard muscled planes of his back, illuminated by the moonlight streaming through the window of the motel room. Her mind kept drifting back to the mind-blowing sex they had had in front of that mirror and what he had said to her afterwards. He had been different since... more relaxed even. Their relationship or whatever you wanted to call it at this point, seemed stronger than before.

And for the first time in Carol's life, she felt strong. She felt strong, safe, and loved. Looking over at the hard planes and definition of the man next to her she felt an overwhelming surge of love for him. He twitched in his sleep, his leg jumping slightly. She slid over and pressed herself against him, hoping to help ease away whatever had come along in his dreams to plague him. He shifted and turned his head on the pillow, his eyes slowly fluttering open to focus on her.

"I didn't mean to wake you," she whispered. "Go back to sleep."

He rubbed his face with his hands. "Why aren't you sleeping?" 

"I'm just thinking," she replied softly.

One long arm snaked around her waist and he tugged her neatly into the length of his body, locking her tight against him. "About what?" He urged sleepily.

"About us," she replied. She rubbed her hand gently back and forth over the hair on his arm.

"And what did you come up with?" He asked carefully.

Carol bit her lip. She had already told him that she loved him, but to her it wasn't enough. She wanted more of him. She wanted that commitment and she wanted all of him, forever. Ed was nothing but a dark speck in the past whenever Daryl was around.

"I want to divorce Ed first thing in the morning. I want to go to the courthouse and file the papers and I want you there with me." She trailed her fingers down and across his hand as she spoke. She shifted to look at him in the darkness. "I want to be with you. I don't have anything to offer you, but myself. I'm broke and I don't have a car or a job, but I love you Daryl and I never want to give you up."

He was completely still next to her and then he cupped her cheek with his hand and slid forward as if to kiss her, stopping mere centimeters from her lips. She could feel the warmth of his breath caressing her skin. "I haven't ever had anybody care about me like you do Carol. I'm so fucking crazy about you and you damn near drive me out of my mind with pleasure. You're never going back to Ed, not if I have anything to say about it. You can stay with me and Merle," he declared.

Carol closed her eyes as he leaned forward a touch and glided his lips across hers gently. He didn't actually kiss her so much as he toyed with her. She could feel her breathing begin to deepen as his tongue touched her lips and he traced the outline of her mouth with it. Daryl rested his palm flat against her abdomen and she bucked her hips upward slightly, eliciting a soft chuckle from his lips.

"Something you want?" He teased.

Carol bit her lip and nodded. "You...all of you."

His eyes darkened, nostrils flaring as he pinned her down to the mattress with the upper half of his body so quickly that she had no time to react. His hands wrapped around her wrists and he held them hostage above her head. Dipping his head down to her body he sucked at the skin of her neck, definitely leaving a mark with his mouth. He pressed a soft kiss to it before moving further down her already heated skin and blowing his warm breath onto her left nipple. His tongue slowly lapped at it making delicious shivers roll down her spine before he took it into his mouth sucking greedily. Carol moaned and pulled her wrists from his grasp to shove her fingers into his hair, tugging on it firmly to hold him to her.

He lifted his head to chuckle at her. "You wanna play dirty do you?" 

Carol smiled at him, feeling her face redden, "Mhm."

He sat up and swung his legs off of the bed, untangling himself from the sheet. She watched as he switched on the lamp before he twisted the sheet up into a rope of sorts. She frowned at him as he walked to the end of the bed. He wrapped his thick fingers around her slender ankle and gave a sharp tug, sliding her down the bed several inches. She squealed as she slid down towards him and he smirked at her before moving to quickly tie the sheet around first one ankle and then the other before finally tying the ends to the bed. He winked at her before dropping to his knees in front of the bed. She leaned up onto her elbows, tugging at the leg restraints with her hands causing him to reach up and gently push her back down.

"My show," he said firmly.

Carol wrinkled her nose at him. "That's not fair. I can't close my legs."

"That's the point." He smiled wickedly, causing her own lips to quirk up in return and she growled in mock frustration. He chuckled and bent his head, spreading her lips apart with his hands and running his tongue up and down her slit. She fell back onto the bed with a groan as he paused over her sensitive nub, sucking on it just enough to make her whimper.

"Daryl."

He merely grunted and slid one finger inside of her as he lavished her with his tongue. Carol didn't know if it was because she was restrained or if it was just Daryl, but she was incredibly turned on. She jerked against the bonds, making him lift his head and raise a brow at her.

"Am I going to have to restrain your hands too?" He asked darkly. Carol bucked her hips on the bed, causing his eyes to drift to them before staring back into her eyes. He continued to stare at her as he slid his finger further into her, crooking it in just the right spot to make her rise up off of the bed. "This what you want? Tell me Carol because I can go all night."

Carol moaned as he continued to stroke. She couldn't think a single coherent thought and she really had no idea what they were even talking about anymore. When his mouth moved back down and he buried his face against her Carol began to breathe heavily. The feeling of his tongue and lips over her most sensitive areas were making her body quiver dangerously on the edge.

Then suddenly he stopped right as Carol teetered on the edge. She sucked in a breath, working her way to her elbows again to stare at him in confusion as he stood up. She stared at him with wide eyes as he walked over to the mini fridge that the room provided and grabbed a bottle of water, pausing to take a drink. Carol waited, thinking that he was just thirsty, her body still throbbing and ready for him. When he didn't immediately come back over to her she quirked a brow. "What are you doing?" 

"Getting a drink. Thirsty?" He tilted the bottle in her direction and Carol realized that she was thirsty.

She nodded and he crossed over to her. When she reached out for the bottle though, he held it out of reach until finally she relented, letting him place it to her lips. He tilted it up, his eyes dark and hungry on hers. Suddenly she jumped as icy cold water dribbled onto her chest.

"Daryl! I need a towel."

He set the bottle on the table beside the bed and leaned over to drag his tongue over the droplets of water. She shivered, but this time it wasn't from the cold. He dragged his fingers down the valley between her breasts, tickling her lightly.

"I'm sorry. Are we taking a break?" Carol demanded, her voice rising a little from having been denied her orgasm that she had been so close to having a few minutes ago.

He smiled and nipped at the flesh of her stomach seeming to be in no hurry. She reached for his face, but he dodged her hands. "Don't make me tie your hands up too," he murmured. "Why are you so impatient?"

Carol sighed and lay back onto the bed. Daryl slid his hands down her belly and just below her belly button kneading the skin gently with his hands as he went. Despite the throbbing ache between her legs, Carol could feel herself beginning to relax again. He stood up and walked around the bed until he was standing in front of her spread legs.

"Beautiful," he murmured as he stared down at her.

Carol flushed three different shades of red. "In your eyes maybe."

He frowned. "No one else's matter. You," he pointed at her. "...are mine. Heart, soul, and…" He trailed the tip of his nail over the arch of her foot. "...body." 

Daryl climbed onto the bed on his knees and kissed her while pushing his cock just inside of her, holding back to tease her. She kissed him back hungrily, more than ready for him to continue. Her body was on fire with need and she thought she might kill him if he made her wait much longer.

"Yours," she agreed as she pulled her lips from his. "Now get to work."

His eyes danced with amusement. He pressed inside of her a little further and then pulled back out. She growled at him, wrapping her hand around his neck. "Daryl…" She panted. "I need you."

He growled low in his throat. "God I fucking love to hear you say that," he muttered.

He thrust into her suddenly and she threw her head back with a loud hiss, her eyes flying shut as he filled her. Carol stroked her hands through his hair as he moved inside of her. He ran his hand along the inside of her thigh making her skin jump beneath his touch.

"Untie my legs Daryl," Carol ordered.

She needed to feel him and she needed to wrap her legs around him. He blinked at her and then pulled out to comply with her wishes, swiftly untying the knots he had made. He let the sheet fall to the floor and crawled back onto the bed, sliding back inside of her swiftly. She lifted her legs, wrapping them around his slender waist. Daryl braced himself on his hands as he thrust into her and she watched how his forearms quivered with his exertions. There was a fine sheen of sweat covering both of their bodies as they moved together.

When he opened his eyes and looked at her she could see the mixture of emotions swirling around inside of him. Carol's orgasm rocked through her, catching her off guard with its intensity. She rocked her body into his, riding out the swell of pleasure that coursed through her body. Above her, Daryl bit his lip as his face contorted and he groaned low and long as he spilled himself inside of her. Sucking in deep breaths, he rested his forehead on her chest for several minutes. Finally he pulled out of her and rolled over, both of them basking in the euphoria of their lovemaking. Carol rolled onto her side, fitting her body against his and he lifted his arm to place it around her.

Pressing a soft kiss onto her forehead he started to speak, but was interrupted by the ringing of his cell phone from the table beside the bed. Frowning he rolled over and glanced at the screen before answering with a gruff, "Hello?"

Carol watched as he listened to whoever was on the other end, his forehead wrinkled in thought. He told them the name of the motel along with the address and then hung up the phone with a sigh. Carol sat up, placing her hand on his shoulder in a comforting gesture.

"Is everything okay?" 

"That was Merle on the phone. He said he's driving up. Needs to talk to us both," Daryl said wearily.

Carol swallowed against a lump forming in her throat. An eerie sense of foreboding overcame her. "What about?" She feared the answer.

Daryl glanced at her, his expression mirroring hers. "Ed."

...


	11. Chapter 11

...........

Carol finished making up the bed that looked as though a tornado had blown through it as Daryl paced back and forth silently in the room. She could feel the intensity and focus vibrating off of his body. He had slipped his jeans and t-shirt back on to wait for Merle. Carol figured it would probably take him at least an hour to get there or less considering the phone call had occurred over fifteen minutes ago. She was curious as to what was going on and a part of her was scared that it had something to do with Daryl beating up Ed. If Daryl got locked up Carol thought she just might go over and put a bullet in Ed's ass for it. Daryl hadn't told her much about the phone call, but then again he hadn't been on the phone for very long either.

"I have a bad feeling about this," Carol said.

Daryl paused in his pacing and glanced at her. He sighed and walked over to cup her face in his hands gently. "Whatever happens, we'll take care of it."

"But what if Ed pressed charges on you somehow? What if they want to lock you up?" 

Daryl's brow wrinkled in thought. "We'll figure that out if it comes to it. I don't even know what the hell is going on. All I know is Merle said some shit went down and he needed to come here. Said it was about Ed." 

He had told Carol all of that a few minutes ago, but she still wasn't convinced that everything would be fine. She knew Ed and how he operated. If Merle was driving an hour or so to get here in the middle of the night, then something was definitely not right. Daryl stroked her cheek with his finger. "Hey," he said to get her attention. She looked at him, "It's going to be fine," he insisted. He bent his head and captured her lips, silencing off any more of her protests or doubt. She could only concentrate on him and the feel of his tongue in her mouth, his scent invading her senses. It was a sweet kiss and she relaxed into his arms contentedly. The abrupt knock on the door had them pulling apart and Carol silently cursed Merle for having horrible timing.

Daryl rubbed her arm and she sat down in one of the chairs in the room while he went to unlock the door. Seconds later Merle Dixon was entering the room, looking pale and distraught. Her brow crinkled in worry as she watched the man barge in and yank open the fridge door, kneeling down to rummage through the contents. She exchanged a glance with Daryl who was also sharing a look somewhat similar to hers. He crossed his arms as Merle cursed and then stood up, holding a bottle of water in his hands.

"Damn, this all the fuck ya got to drink?" Merle griped.

Daryl ignored him. "What's this all about Merle?" 

Merle twisted the cap from the water, lifting it to his lips and drinking like a man dying of thirst. Carol took in his once white wife beater and haggard appearance. He definitely didn't look like the man who had once picked her up from the bar. He looked as though he had literally almost aged ten years overnight and her heart thudded painfully at what news about Ed he was there to tell. Sweat beaded on his forehead and arms as he emptied the contents of the bottle, crushing it in his hand before tossing it in the trashcan.

"I need a minute brother. Gotta fuckin' collect my thoughts. That okay with ya?" Merle asked.

Daryl sighed. "Fine. Take a fucking minute, but not too damn long. I wanna know what this shit is about."

Merle sat down on the edge of the bed, wiping at his forehead. "Goddamn it's hot in here."

Carol didn't think it was hot at all in the room. She was actually pretty comfortable with the temperature where it was. Daryl moved across the room to sit down in the only other chair that occupied the room, his eyes drifting over to hers. He smirked as he looked at her and his eyes drifted to her chair and then back up to her face suggestively. It was only then that she remembered what they had done in that chair and she felt her face flame red. He smiled wickedly at her and winked, sending a chill racing down her spine.

"If ya need me to step out so y'all can fuck then let me know," Merle quipped from his perch on the bed where he had been watching their exchange.

Daryl flipped him off."What the hell have you been taking Merle? I can see that you're coming down off of some shit."

Merle shrugged, wiping at his forehead again. "I been slippin' alright? But, it ain't all drugs that's got me like this," he said defensively.

Carol leaned forward in her chair. "Did Ed do something? Is he going to turn Daryl in?" 

Merle stared at her for a minute, his expression blank. "Speakin' of which, lil' miss...ya owe me one for leavin' my ass hangin' that night."

Carol averted her eyes, suddenly feeling guilty for leaving the man in his room waiting on her when she had no intention of coming back. "I…I'm sorry. I guess I'm not cut out for that kind of thing."

Merle snorted. "Seems to me ya doin' just fine with my baby brother over here. Shouldn't have left before givin' Merle the chance to treat ya right. Ya sure as hell wouldn't have gone nowhere else once ya had a taste of the finer Dixon." He laughed, but it sounded forced.

"Cut the shit Merle. We're not here to reminisce. And Carol doesn't have to explain anything to you. Hell I found your drunk ass passed the hell out. You didn't even know she was gone until morning. That's besides the point though. Tell me what you called me in a panic to tell me." Daryl's voice was firm and not in the mood for idle chatter.

"Easy brother. Just tryin' to calm myself down is all. I'm gonna tell ya everything, but I just gotta get my heart to stop speedin'. Damn near felt like it was gonna burst out my chest the whole way here."

Carol felt bad for him. He didn't look like he was doing too well and she wondered if they should be worried. Sneaking a glance at Daryl though she saw that he didn't appear worried and she figured that he would know best in this type of situation.

"Do you need something else to drink? You're sweating an awful lot," Carol commented.

Merle shook his head. "Nah. I think I'm good." He cleared his throat before speaking, "Went out to the bar earlier an' was gonna have myself a few drinks, see if I couldn't hear some gossip about Ed. Wasn't much goin' on and I tried to keep my ears peeled for anything about what happened," Merle explained. "Finally Ed himself walked in the door." Merle's eyes shifted over to Daryl. "Still makes me proud of ya every time I look at the bastard."

Daryl shook his head. "Shut up," he muttered.

Merle sighed and resituated himself on the bed to get more comfortable. "Well like I said he came in there an' we started chattin' and shootin' the shit. I was workin' my way around gettin' him to talk about what happened and shit. Fucker was tight lipped though an' wouldn't say much about it. I had some good shit that would make him talk though so I suggested we hit up another location to party. He was game an' we took off-"

"Wait," Carol interjected. "Are you telling me that Ed was using illegal drugs?" She was kind of shocked. In all the time that she had known him, she had never known him to use any kind of drugs. Then she remembered the rage she had seen him in last before Daryl had pulled him off of her and she knew that Merle was telling the truth. Even then she had known that something wasn't right with Ed. He had always been an asshole to her, but he had never been that out of control. She shuddered now to think of what might have happened to her if Daryl hadn't come when he did. She rubbed her hand on her throat subconsciously, thinking back to him wrapping his hand around her neck.

"Stop," Daryl said and her eyes flitted over to his. His look said that he knew exactly what was going through her mind at that point and he didn't like it. Carol dropped her hand into her lap. She didn't like it either. Merle glanced between the two of them, impatiently waiting so that he could get on with his tale. "So get on with it," Daryl said to him.

"Anyway, we went to this little dive out on the other side of town. Ya know that place called _Stoplight_?" Merle asked Daryl. Daryl nodded, his expression indicating that he knew the place well. "So I pulled the pills out an' he was just supposed to take one, but instead he grabs up five of them bitches an' pops them in his mouth at one time. Pissed me the hell off cause they wasn't none left for me. I fired up the truck an' was gonna take his ass on home and find me some pussy, but when I pulled up in the driveway he wasn't movin'." Merle paused and wiped at his face again. "See I always get my shit from the same guy an' he ain't never done me wrong…'til now."

Carol gasped, her eyes widening as she processed what Merle was trying to say. It couldn't be. Varying emotions began flitting through her brain and then Daryl was kneeling next to her, rubbing her hands with his own. She sucked in a breath and looked back over at Merle as she squeezed Daryl's hands.

"So…so what exactly are you saying Merle?" Carol asked softly.

Merle looked like he was going to be sick and he hung his head before barking out a harsh laugh.

"The fucker's dead," He said matter-of-fact. "Ed's dead an' I fuckin' killed him. An' that ain't all," he continued as Daryl and Carol watched him in shock.

"His body's out in the truck."

..............

...


	12. Chapter 12

..............

The room was so deathly silent that Carol figured you would be able to hear a pin drop on the worn out carpet. She couldn't seem to find the words to express what she was thinking about that statement and looking over at Daryl she saw that he must have been suffering from the same dilemma. That had been the last thing she had expected to come tumbling out of Merle's mouth. She couldn't believe he had ridden this whole way with a dead body in the car, Ed's dead body on top of that.

"Well somebody fuckin' say somethin'," Merle grumbled.

It was Daryl who finally spoke first. He was still kneeling by her chair and he squeezed her hand before rising to his feet. "What the hell were you thinking? You know what that fucking looks like now?" Daryl shouted.

To Merle's credit he didn't snap back. He just sat there and let Daryl yell at him before speaking. "I know exactly what it looks like. Soon as the cops come, my ass is gonna get tossed the fuck in jail an' ya know it. My record ain't exactly pure," Merle said.

Daryl began to pace the small space as Carol fidgeted with her hands. She had no idea what to do about any of it. This was beyond her means of thinking. Normally she would suggest just calling the police and trying to explain, but clearly that would get Merle put away for a long time. Watching Daryl pace with a look close to worry on his face, she knew they couldn't do that. If she accepted Daryl into her life and truly wanted to be with him, then that meant Merle was a part of her family now too. Carol got a sense that Merle going away would hurt Daryl more than he was willing to admit at the moment.

"You're not fucking going to jail!" Daryl shouted. "Not if I can fucking help it."

Daryl crossed over to the bedside table and yanked open a drawer, pulling out a phone book. Thumbing through it, he trailed his fingers down one of the pages.

"What the hell ya doin' brother?" Merle asked.

Daryl waved his question away and stood up with the phone book. "There's a payphone on the corner. I'm gonna make a phone call and I'll be right back. Stay your ass here."

He walked over to Carol and she stood up, confused and worried about what he was up to. Daryl lifted her chin and stared down into her eyes before pressing a gentle kiss to her lips. He didn't speak out loud, but his eyes spoke volumes and she nodded before he walked out of the room.

Daryl ignored the truck and the body inside of it as he walked over to the phone. He dug into his pocket for some change before picking up the phone. Dialing the number from the phone book, he waited while it rang. Someone answered on the second ring and Daryl smiled.

"Axel. Need a favor man," Daryl said into the phone.

...

Two hours later Daryl opened the door to let in the man that Carol assumed was Axel. The first thing she noticed about him was his mustache and the way it curled up on the ends. It was very outdated and she didn't think she had seen anyone else with a mustache like that ever except in pictures. He seemed nice enough, but she could tell right away though that he wasn't there for an impromptu visit. Daryl hadn't told her much about Axel except for the fact that the man owed him a favor and he was going to take care of their situation so that she needn't worry. She trusted Daryl, but she didn't know this man and she still worried a bit. It crossed her mind the predicament that she was in. Her dead husband was sitting outside of a motel room in the passenger seat of Daryl and Merle's truck. She was on the inside with the man she had been cheating on him with trying to figure out a way to get them out of this mess. Through all of that, she hadn't even felt sad for Ed. At all. Carol wondered what kind of person that made her.

Daryl, Axel, and Merle spoke in low tones for a few moments by the door and then Daryl nodded before heading over to her. Merle left the room without a word, following behind Axel and then she and Daryl were finally alone. Carol was exhausted. It would be daylight soon and they hadn't even really been to bed yet. Daryl perched on the edge of her chair and slipped a hand around her neck, kneading the flesh there. The moan escaped her lips before she could stop it and he chuckled.

"Tired sweetheart?" He asked her.

She nodded. She was tired, but his skilled hands felt so good working her skin. "Where did Merle go? Is everything okay?" 

"Axel's taking care of it. He needed Merle to show him everything that happened so he can make the problem...disappear," Daryl said as he increased the pressure of his fingers on her skin.

The pressure felt so good that Carol wouldn't care if he had just told her that Merle had gone outside to call the cops and turn himself in. He leaned over, his breath hot against her ear. "Why don't you lie down and get some sleep?" He suggested. "I'll rub you some more."

Carol couldn't resist an offer like that and she made her way over to the bed, pulling the covers back and falling down onto it on her belly. She shut her eyes as Daryl turned off some of the lights, keeping one of the lamps in the corner on for when Merle came back in. She felt the bed sink around her as he situated himself on his knees across her thighs. He rubbed his hands together briskly to warm them and then he slid them underneath her shirt to knead the muscles of her back. Carol hummed in pleasure as he worked his strong fingers over her skin.

"You got a lot of tension. I'm gonna rub that out for you," Daryl said softly.

Carol mumbled her okay, her voice muffled by the pillow. She let her mind drift away from everything that was currently happening, pretending that it was just the two of them. She imagined that there had never been an Ed in her life, that there had always been Daryl and no one else. She felt herself grow wet with desire despite her exhaustion. She wondered what her life would have been like had she married Daryl instead, how things might have been different for her. Daryl rolled the waist of her pants down and pressed his fingers into the globes of her ass. Carol purred into the pillow as the sensations passed through her. She had never had never received a massage before, but she was beginning to see just exactly what she had been missing. His fingers continued their firm strokes across her skin and Carol felt herself sink into the mattress in relaxation. She relaxed so much that she must have drifted off as his hands continued their magic on her skin.

She wasn't sure how long she had drifted for before she let out a moan that startled her to alertness. Two fingers were slowly stroking between her legs and she felt the wetness on her panties as she shifted. She wasn't alarmed because she knew it was Daryl. She could smell him and she knew the touch of his hands anywhere. She lifted her head up from the pillow and glanced around the room to see that they were still alone.

"There's nobody here but us sweetheart. Merle hasn't come back yet. Got you covered so he can't see anything anyway," he murmured as those long fingers circled her clit.

She bucked back against his hand, wanting more of what he was giving her. He chuckled and she felt him slide in a third finger before he worked his thumb over her clit. She whimpered into the pillow softly. He pulled his fingers from her slit and she moaned in protest before he slid his slick fingers over her puckered hole. She stiffened and he leaned over to soothe her.

"It's not going to happen if you don't want it to," he whispered.

Carol swallowed. A part of her resisted the intrusion into that area, but another part of her screamed out to have him violate her there. It took her a minute, but she realized she wanted him to be her first. She wanted to feel him fill her up with his cock. She relaxed her shoulders as he pressed a kiss to the side of her head and he paused, waiting.

"I'm not doing it until I hear you say it's okay, Carol. Talk to me sweetheart."

"What about Merle?" She asked. "He could walk in here."

"They're going to be a while, but I'm going to do it where if he does, he won't be able to see anything. You okay with that?"

Carol thought about it, but it didn't really take her long to decide. She wanted him, period. "Okay. Go ahead."

Daryl shifted over her, adjusting the blanket and her pants so that they were folded down just enough that he could get to her ass. She heard him unzip his pants and seconds later she felt witness on the cheeks of her ass as his cock brushed against her skin, dripping wet. Her body responded to that touch by becoming even more wet and she arched into the air slightly.

"That's my girl," he murmured approvingly.

He slipped his fingers into her slit again, working her juices around to her hole slowly. He traced his finger along the outside of it, making her skin tingle in anticipation. She felt the very tip of his finger tease her entrance, pushing in a fraction of an inch, but pulling out before it entered her. She willed her body to relax, forcing her mind not to think about it. He kept up the steady pace, teasing her with his finger for a bit as he lubed her up with her own juices. When he slipped his finger inside of her, past the ring of muscles that involuntarily clenched around it, she let out a low moan.

"You like that?" 

Carol nodded her head against the pillow."Yes," she breathed.

She was stretched wider as he slipped a second and then third finger inside of her, working her slowly with each one before adding another. Soon she was pushing back against him, taking in his three fingers. He eased them out of her, rubbing his cock around her hole next, spreading his lube all around the sensitive flesh. Carol hummed her pleasure and then he slid inside of her, filling her hole completely with his thickness. Carol gasped and he waited as she adjusted to him, his hands caressing her skin to keep her muscles loose and giving. When she slumped into the mattress again he began to move. He slid himself in and out of her, his breathing increasing as his breaths became labored. It actually felt really good once her body got used to the unfamiliar sensations. She rocked herself back against him, meeting his thrusts with a slapping of flesh on flesh. Her orgasm took her completely off guard and she clenched around him hard as her pussy throbbed with her release. Her hands gripped the pillow tightly, holding it to her mouth so that she could moan as loudly as she wanted without alerting anyone.

She felt Daryl grow still above her and she froze as the door opened seconds later. Daryl kneaded her muscles over the material of her shirt before turning around at Merle's voice.

"Gonna take a ride brother. Gotta take the truck out to Axel's shop so he can fix it," Merle said.

Carol felt Daryl's cock throbbing inside of her and she kept waiting for Merle to notice what they were really doing, but he never said anything to indicate that he did.

"Alright." Daryl's voice came out gruffly above her and she smirked into the pillow, knowing the effort it took him to hold back at this point. God knows he had teased her more than enough times to count.

"Got my cell if ya need me," Merle said before he shut the door.

Daryl pumped into her once, making her cry out with a muffled voice. "Where were we?" He whispered.

Carol didn't reply as he began moving inside of her once again. He took his time, planting his hands on her ass as he fucked her. Feeling a little bold, she braced herself on her elbows, turning her head to the side to look at him out of the corner of her eye.

"Fuck me harder, Daryl. Make me scream," she whispered.

He stilled for half of a second and then she saw the slow smile that spread across his face. "My pleasure, sweetheart. You sure you can handle it?"

In answer, Carol slammed herself back against him, taking him in to the hilt. She dropped her head, her moan exiting her body low and long.

"Fuck. Carol!" Her name ended on a growl from Daryl's lips and he increased his speed, slamming into her and grunting through his release moments later. His finger found her clit and he rubbed it, making her thighs flood with wetness. "Cum for me again baby," he said through clenched teeth.

Carol moaned, the sensations too much for her body and she exploded, pinning his hand to the bed with her body. He didn't let up his stroking though and she came once more, soaking the sheets with her juices. He finally eased up and pulled his fingers away. He held her ass as he pulled himself out of her and lay down on his back beside her. Grinning, he sucked the wetness from two of his fingers, rubbing the third across her lips, coating her with her own juice before pressing his lips to hers for a kiss that left her reeling.

"What happens now?" She asked breathlessly when he pulled away from her. She yawned and stretched contentedly, ignoring his smirk.

He eased his softened cock back inside of his jeans and zipped them up before answering. "Gotta wait for Merle's report. If everything went according to plan then nobody is going to know it was him and they'll think Ed just up and disappeared."

"What's going to happen to the body?" 

Daryl shrugged. "Honestly? I don't know. I don't ask questions and Axel doesn't offer explanations. He knows people who know people and he's very thorough. That's all I know. And no, I haven't ever killed anybody," he told her before she could ask.

Carol let out a relieved breath. She hadn't thought so, but then again she had to be sure. "What about us?" 

He turned his head on the pillow to look at her, using his fingers to brush her hair off of her face where it had fallen. "We have to lay low for a bit, just until everything dies down. You'll have to report Ed missing of course. You think you can do that?" 

Carol drew in a deep breath and nodded. "I can do it."

"Good. Once everything dies down some then we can be together," he explained. "I don't think I could ever thank you enough for doing this. Feel like shit you're having to be involved in this in any way. I'd do anything to keep you from harm. You know that, right?"

"I love you Daryl," Carol whispered sleepily.

He grabbed her hand and pressed a lingering kiss to it. Carol slid over and he put his arm around her until they both drifted off, lulled into a deep sleep as the first tinges of pink flirted with the horizon.

...


	13. Chapter 13

.......

Carol stretched and yawned, her muscles sore, but in a good way. She knew it was time to get out of the bed, but she just couldn't motivate herself to leave the warmth surrounding her. Feeling the tickle of a finger gliding down her ribs, she snickered and grabbed it before it could drift any further downwards and distract her. Warm, blue eyes stared at her through wispy, dark, hair and Daryl smiled before nuzzling her naked breast with his cheek.

Eight months and she still couldn't get used to it. Three months ago the investigation into Ed's death had ended and like Axel had said, no one ever even suspected that Merle had anything to do with it. Which in reality, Carol knew that Merle hadn't. She had gotten to know him a lot better over the last few months and she knew that he wasn't a killer. You just had to dig a lot deeper, chisel a lot harder into the surface of the man that was Daryl's brother. Underneath all of his protective layers, there was a good man hiding inside of Merle Dixon.

Carol had inherited everything from Ed's estate a couple of months ago and she had put the house on the market right away. She didn't want the memories that lurked within the walls of that house to taint her future. She wanted fresh paint, fresh scenery, and most of all, a fresh start with the man who had captured her heart. It had been hard to stay away from Daryl for those first few months. They had talked on the phone daily and Carol had had her first round of phone sex. There were so many firsts with Daryl, so many moments of happiness that overflowed from her heart. As he nuzzled into her she sighed with content. They had a queen sized bed at Daryl's request, but they never even used half of the space it offered. They were always wrapped around each other and even in their sleep they always touched.

As soon as she had seen the house with the big front porch, large rooms, and beautiful yard, she had known that it was the one. Using the money from the old house, she purchased it and she hadn't looked back since. Daryl had come with her, staying over mostly every night for a while. Slowly he began leaving things behind like extra clothes, cologne, or aftershave and soon he had moved on in. Carol was happy that he wanted to be with her and she was still holding out hope that one day he would be able to tell her that he loved her. He showed her in so many wonderful ways, but he hadn't ever uttered the words that her heart desired.

"Do you have to go? You can always get the assignments from someone else you know," Daryl murmured against her belly where his beard was lightly scratching her skin.

She pushed at him with a giggle. "Yes I have to go! I can't skip class Daryl. It's important! I only have four more weeks until I graduate."

He lifted his head and stared at her with his piercing blue eyes, his finger tracing small circles on her skin. "I know. I just don't like sharing you. You only got that one class today, right?"

Carol nodded. She had enrolled herself into a nursing program about a month after Ed had passed. It was a six month course and it would only make her a certified nursing assistant, but it was something. She was taking baby steps and she planned on getting a job and then taking classes at night to become a registered nurse. Daryl was still working at the shop with Frankie, but Frankie was slowly spending less and less time there, giving Daryl more duties. There was even talk about selling the business to Daryl and Daryl had talked to her about asking Merle to join him and they could be partners. He had been working his ass off trying to learn what needed to done and see about getting a loan to buy it from Frankie. Carol was proud of him for his hard work. Life was settling into a comfortable pattern for them and Carol was genuinely happy for the first time in her life.

"Alright. I really have to get up. I've still got to shower." Carol reluctantly slipped out of his arms and crossed the room naked, to find something to wear after her shower.

She was aware of Daryl's eyes on her and when she peeked over her shoulder she saw that he had his arms crossed behind his head and that he was eyeing her lustfully. Somewhere along the way, Carol had gotten used to her body and she wasn't completely comfortable with her nakedness, but she was more so now than she had been before. Daryl wasn't ashamed at all and he frequently walked the house nude without caring who saw. One time Merle had dropped by for a visit and caught sight of Daryl naked through the living room window. Since then, Merle called before he dropped by, having claimed to be scarred for life at the sight of his brother's dick.

Carol smiled at the memories as she selected a pair of jeans and a t-shirt from the closet. Her wardrobe consisted of nothing from her previous life. Little by little, she had purchased things here and there until she had a whole new wardrobe of clothing that actually fit. It had taken her some time to get used to wearing jeans that hugged her curves, but now she couldn't imagine going back to the baggy jeans that hid everything. Not only that, but it made Daryl want to touch her all the time and Daryl touching her was always good.

She headed out of the room with her selections in her arms, Daryl's eyes following her as she went. She shook her head as she entered the bathroom and turned on the water. Letting it warm up she set her clothing to the side and grabbed a clean towel from the cabinet. She checked the water and stepped inside, letting out a sigh of satisfaction as the hot water cascaded over her muscles. She felt his presence, before she heard him slide open the curtain and seconds later he stepped in behind her, wrapping his muscular arms around her waist.

"Daryl," she murmured as he sucked on her neck. "I can't be late today."

She tried to keep her voice stern, but she was smiling and it didn't come out as firm as she would have liked. Daryl chuckled and pulled his lips away from her.

"I know. I'm just going to wash you. You got time for that, right?" He murmured near her ear.

Carol nodded, her breathing already becoming short at the thought of his soapy hands running over her slick skin. He grabbed the soap and worked up a lather in his hands. He started at her shoulders, rubbing the soap into her skin like a massage and she moaned. He slid them down her back and to her ass, working his fingers in deep over the muscle. She sucked in a breath when he slid down her legs and to her feet, his fingers exerting just the right amount of pressure.

"How's that feel?" He asked as he brushed past her, his cock sliding against her as he moved to kneel in front of her.

Carol sucked in a breath and caught the briefest glimpse of a smirk on his face, letting her know that he had made the move intentionally. When he glanced up at her with darkened eyes though, she forgot all train of thought. Nothing mattered anymore but the two of them in this moment together. He started at her legs and worked his way up, skipping her mound and smirking at her frustrated glance. Daryl slid his soapy fingers over her belly and up to her breasts where he circled her nipples, pulling on them gently to make her moan. Carol closed her eyes, enjoying the feel of her soapy massage. She let out a little gasp of pleasure when he slid his finger inside of her and she grew even more wet as he slid in and out of her.

"Mmm, you feel so damn good woman."

Carol hummed in response, reaching out with her hand to brace herself against the wall. He was working her with two fingers, his mouth hot on her belly and he looked so erotic kneeling before her that it took her breath away.

"I need you inside of me. Now," she demanded.

He slid his fingers out abruptly, turning her so that her back was to the tiled wall. "Thought you'd never ask," he whispered as he hitched her up, his hands cupping her ass as she wrapped her legs around his waist. This wasn't their first round of shower sex and Carol cried out against his neck as he slid his pulsing cock inside of her. "Going to make this quick sweetheart," he muttered. "Don't want you late for class."

Carol nodded, biting into his shoulder as he increased the force of his thrusts. He growled deep in his throat and it was her turn to smirk. She had discovered that Daryl liked it when she nipped at him with her teeth. He was open to just about anything when it came to having sex and she loved that about him. Carol was quickly discovering her inner sexuality as well.

Daryl's lips met hers, his tongue sliding into her mouth, hot and possessive. She tangled her tongue with his, matching him stroke for stroke. He pulled back and rested his forehead against hers, his breathing labored. She gazed back at him, loving the emotions swirling in the depths of those baby blue eyes. He thrust into her harder, never breaking contact with her, his eyes boring into hers, hot and heavy. It was too much and Carol cried out, her forehead hitting his as she rode out her release.

"Oh, fuck," Daryl muttered and then he stiffened before letting go of his own release. They stayed wrapped together, both of them working to catch their breath before Daryl eased her to the shower floor, slipping out of her gently. He rinsed himself off, one hand holding hers before pulling her back to him for a sweet kiss that left her spinning.

"You're going to be late." He slapped her ass gently and she jumped.

"Because you're insatiable when it comes to sex," she teased, sticking her tongue out at him.

He smiled, the smile showing off his boyish charm. "Only for you baby." His voice sent delicious tingles down her spine. She stepped out of the shower, leaving him to wash and quickly dressed after toweling off. She opened the door as he stepped out of the shower and she kissed him quickly.

"See you later," she said softly.

He winked at her. "Later," his voice promised.

...

Carol was humming as she pulled into the parking lot of the boutique on her way home from class. She was feeling proud of herself for passing a surprise test that their instructor had thrown at them at the last minute. She passed the little boutique on her way to and from class every week and this time she had decided to stop. She had never been in anywhere like it before, but she wanted to drift out of her comfort zone and try something new. As she walked in, she felt her cell phone begin to buzz in her pocket signaling she had a call and she smiled as she saw Daryl's name flash across the screen.

"Hey."

"You done with class?" Daryl asked.

That was the thing with Daryl. He wasn't much for greetings on the phone, preferring to come right out with his reasons for calling.

"I'm...done," she said as she glanced around the store.

Carol hoped that he wouldn't ask her where she was because she wanted this stop to be a surprise. It was unusual for him to call her to ask if she was done with her class though so she wrinkled her brow a little at the action.

"Is everything okay?"

He grunted. "Just thinking about you. Missing you."

Carol smiled. "We had a surprise test today. I passed!" She said excitedly.

"That's great sweetheart! You're going to pass this shit at the top of your class."

She shrugged, stopping to look at something that caught her eye. "Maybe."

His voice dropped several octaves. "Can't wait for you to get home so I can show you how proud of you I am. Wanna make love to you all night."

Carol swallowed, glancing around the store as her cheeks reddened. Of course, no one could possibly know what Daryl was saying, but it still felt dirty to hear him say it while she was in a store full of people.

"You gonna be wet for me?" 

Carol's chest heaved as she realized she was already wet just at the possibility of making love all night. "Yes," she whispered.

"There people around you?" 

"Uh huh."

"I'm going to take my time and get you all worked up. Kiss every inch of that beautiful flesh until you beg me." He paused. "I want to worship your body, Carol. Can I have your body?" 

Carol's eyes scanned the store and she cleared her throat. "It's already yours." _And my heart,_ she silently added to herself.

He hummed into the phone. "You keep thinking about all the places I'm going to take you and I'll see you when you get home. How long you gonna be?"

"Maybe thirty minutes or so?" She guessed.

"Be careful," he said seriously and Carol promised him she would before hanging up.

Turning to survey the item more carefully she selected it as well as a few other things before walking to find an associate to help her. She had a few things up her sleeve as well.

...

Carol entered a dimly lit house, candles seeming to cover every inch of available space. She smiled as she saw the bouquet of flowers waiting for her on the kitchen table. Putting down her bag of goodies, she picked up the vase, breathing in the light floral scent. Cherokee roses were her favorite flower and she remembered Daryl buying them for her a couple of months ago. She set the vase down with a smile and noticed the note lying on the table. Picking it up, she recognized Daryl's chicken scratch handwriting that read: Take off ya clothes and wait for me in the living room.

Carol set the paper down and eyed her bag. Heading over to the living room, she saw that he had lit a fire in the fireplace and laid out a blanket in front of it. He wasn't anywhere in sight and she hurriedly tossed off her clothes, reaching into the bag to grab her purchases. She had just slipped on the outfit, hoping that he would like it and she was bent over, working her feet into the heels when he entered the room. She slowly turned and her breath caught.

Daryl had paused in the doorway, his eyes traveling over her body hungrily, but Carol wasn't paying that any attention. She was too busy being focused on the fact that he had obviously gotten his hair trimmed a little and he was wearing a white polo shirt that he hadn't bothered to button. He wore black jeans and he was barefoot. He was a vision and he took her breath away.

"Well hell, looks like we had the same idea," he said softly as he began walking towards her, his hands in his pockets.

Carol fidgeted with the skimpy nurses outfit she had purchased, complete with a black lacy thong and black heels.

"Do you like it?" She worried she might have missed her mark.

"Do I like it?" Daryl repeated. He grabbed her hand, placing it over the swell in his jeans. "I fucking love it. In fact, I'm having a fucking hard ass time not taking you right this minute, but I need to get this out first." He ran a hand through his hair.

"You look great."

His eyes scanned her body approvingly and he swore. "Fuck, Carol. That damn outfit is driving me nuts." He grabbed her hand suddenly, holding it between them. "You drive me nuts," he whispered softly. He looked up and their eyes met. "I know I don't tell you enough, but you're the best thing to ever happen to me. When I'm with you, nothing else matters and when you're not with me I miss you." He shifted on his feet nervously and cleared his throat, but his eyes remained focused on hers. "I guess what I'm trying to say is that I love you, Carol. I love you so fucking much and I want you to be mine forever." He pulled a box from his pocket and Carol felt her eyes begin to glisten with tears. He held up her hand, palm up, and placed the box in the center. She stared at it as her hand shook slightly. When she reached to open it with her other hand though, he stopped her. She glanced up at him curiously.

"I don't want what's in the box to influence your decision and I don't even need an answer now. I just want you to know how I feel about you."

Carol stared at him, a tear slipping down her face and then she glanced back down at the box. She knew it didn't matter to her whether or not there was a ring in that box. She was his forever, even if they never went any further than where they were currently. She had told him a long time ago that she loved him and those words still rang true to this day.

"So what exactly are you saying here?" She teased softly as he used his thumb to swipe at her tears.

"I'm saying that I want to be with you forever because there isn't anyone else out there for me. I don't want you to marry me and not because of what you're thinking. I think we have our own ways of sealing our relationship. If you decide that marriage is what you want later then that's what we'll do. But I don't need a piece of paper to tell me what the hell I already know."

Carol blinked back fresh tears and nodded, thankful that he understood her hesitation to marry again without her having to say anything. She bit her lip and eyed the box, wondering what was inside.

"I'm yours, Daryl. I've always been yours from that first night I think. I don't want to give up what we have and I love you so much that it hurts sometimes, but it's a good hurt," She added. He nodded, his eyes holding a searing heat and something close to relief. "Can I open the box now?" 

He answered her question by lifting the lid and she gasped as he lifted out a delicate silver chain. On the chain was a heart locket and as she looked closer she saw that it was engraved with a Cherokee rose. Opening it with shaky fingers she saw a picture of him inside of it and their initials engraved in the other side. She nodded as she looked back at him, completely at a loss for words as she cried her happy tears. His long fingers opened the clasp and he moved behind her to place it around her neck. Her hand drifted up to touch it as it lay against her skin and he pressed a soft kiss into her shoulder. She moaned loudly, her skin sensitive from her emotional state.

Remembering her idea, she turned then and pointed to the floor. "Get down on the blanket," she ordered softly.

He raised his brows, a small smile playing upon his lips as he settled himself down on the blanket. Wiping her face dry, Carol drew in a deep breath.

"Yes ma'am."

Carol placed the tip of her high heel against his chest. "Did I tell you to speak?" 

He shook his head slowly, playing along with her. He ran his fingers over her shoe and up her leg softly.

She yanked her leg back. "You can't touch until I tell you it's okay. Now take your clothes off."

He obeyed her orders and began removing his clothing. She stopped him at the pants though. "Leave those."

He buttoned them back up and leaned back with his hands braced on the floor, his chest gleaming in the firelight. Her throat went dry just staring at him and the vision he created. She took the tip of her shoe and gently applied pressure, easing him back to the floor. Stepping across where his head lay she straddled him, giving him a bird's eye view up her nurse's skirt. His mouth twitched and she knew he was fighting back the urge to talk.

Smiling she stared down at him, "Like what you see?" He nodded. "Take my panties off."

He lifted himself slightly to a sitting position and slid his hands up her thighs and under her skirt. Hooking a finger into the lacy panties he tugged them down, his eyes staring at them hungrily as she lifted her legs in turn so that he could slip them off over her shoes. He brought them up to his nose and closed his eyes as he inhaled her scent. Carol felt herself growing more wet just looking at him.

"Take your dick out. I want to fuck you," she whispered.

She bit her lip and he groaned softly before doing as she asked, his cock springing up out of the restraints of his jeans eagerly. She pushed him back down and bent over him so that she straddled his waist. He kept his hands to himself, watching her with hooded eyes. She eased herself over him, wrapping one hand around his dripping cock so that she could guide him into her. The first thrust sent her mind spinning and they both moaned simultaneously.

"Oh God!" Carol cried out.

She rocked up and down on him, finding a rhythm that worked well for her. Daryl clenched his jaw, his nostrils flaring slightly.

"Touch me! Fucking touch me!" Carol craved his hands on her flesh like she never had before.

He wasted no time in touching her. His hands slid all over every inch of her and underneath the skirt to stroke her clit before moving up to the lacy material covering her breasts. She gasped as he gripped the lace, ripping it down the front so that her breasts were bared to him. Growling he leaned up and captured her breast in his mouth, suckling her so hard that she ground into him even harder. It was frenzied between them and they couldn't seem to get enough of each other. Daryl's expression was intense and he braced himself on one hand, leaning up to buck up into her deeply.

"You like that don't you?" 

Carol bit her lip and hummed in agreement, "Yes! Please don't stop!"

"Fuck me, sweetheart," he whispered as he pulled her body flush against his, their skin sliding flesh on flesh.

"Daryl!" She cried as her body began to twitch. "I love you!"

He grunted seconds later, his seed spilling into her hotly. "I love you too…forever."

They fell back onto the floor minutes later, chests heaving and still tangled together. He cradled Carol against his chest as she listened to the thudding of his heart that matched hers. They lay there, bodies still joined, until their eyes drifted closed. It was the perfect ending to a perfect day and Carol drifted into a satisfied slumber, the symbol of their love glinting softly in the firelight.

...


End file.
